Where I Belong
by bfanforlife
Summary: Regina Mills of New York City is taking over her fathers business Mills Inc. and is feeling the pressure. She is more than capable but is having a hard time proving it to her peers. That is until a certain blonde comes along and helps her prove that she's exactly where she belongs. In return she helps the blonde figure out where she is meant to be, in her arms. Swanqueen.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fan fiction story ever written so please bear with me. Its completely swanqueen. The Idea came to me in a dream. Sorry for any grammar errors or character inaccuracy in advance. Other than that enjoy. *Feedback would be nice I have chapters waiting to be posted if I get a decent response. Thank-you**

She walked, well more like ran into the building completely disoriented. She ran a beeline right into the elevator mumbling a sorry to the bystander she almost knocked over on her way in.

She caught it just in time. Once in the elevator she let out a sigh of relief as she looked at her watch and realized despite her morning hassle she had 20 minutes til her 8 o clock and pressed the button that led to the 29th floor. Emma was thankful she was the only one in the elevator at the time so she could regroup herself from her hectic morning before walking into a meeting that she knew would surely change her life, only not for the reasons she presumed. She looked down on herself and adjusted the buttons that lay just underneath her neck on her hunter green blouse. "Dammit" she mumbled as one of the buttons pinched her neck in the process. She then continued to straighten her navy blazer and unnecessarily straightened out her wrinkle free pencil skirt. She fidgeted with her stockings and made a mental note to curse Ruby for suggesting she wear them in the first place. She was perfectly content with the black slacks and white blouse she had planned to wear the night before. She thought it was perfectly acceptable for her meeting with the investors, that was until Ruby came over and told her "You have to be sexy to get into these sexist pigs pockets. Their not gonna give a load of cash over to you if your dressed like their help. Sexy it up Emma for the love of Buddha!" The blonde chuckled remembering her friends reference to her newly found religion. Ever since Ruby's mission tour around Asian countries she was completely set on Buddhism.

Emma looked at her reflection in the closed Elevator doors and smirked to herself "This skirt makes my ass look nice", she mumbled to herself.

Her conversation with herself was short lived as the doors to the elevator opened on the 17th floor. Emma stood off to the right side of the elevator allowing room for the man to enter. He offered her a small smile and a curt nod and she reciprocated the gesture. The man stood at least 6 inches taller than she did. He was dressed formally in a charcoal grey shirt, a black tie, black dress pants, and black shoes to match. His dark Orange or brown, she couldn't tell, hair was parted on the side and neatly combed into a swoop to the right of his face. His hair complimented his blue eyes and his pale white skin his shirt graced his muscular arms. He looked quite nice Emma thought to herself. Before she had the chance to spark conversation they arrived on the 29th floor and she exited swiftly and he stayed on.

She assumed he was going down because the 30th floor was the last floor and was a private office that belonged to the owner of the entire place, Henry Mills. That man in the elevator didn't look in his 50's, over weight, with no hair on his head so he surely didn't belong up there. Emma was quickly pulled from her thoughts as an older dark skinned man bumped into her and made her drop her briefcase. "I'm so sorry" he said as he shuffled to pick up his papers and help Emma pick up her briefcase. "Its okay, I got it", she said as she pulled her briefcase form the floor and thanked her lucky stars that her laptop hadn't slipped from it and been damaged. "Whats your business here?", the man asked politely as nosy can be." Well good morning, My name is Emma Swan. I'm here for a meeting with the Mr. Mills and his investors cabinet." "I'm sorry My name is Sydney, Sydney Glass" he shrugged at her sarcasm and put out a brown hand to be shaken. "Oh you're the 8 o clock, your meeting room is on the other side of all the cubicles marked B and to the left." Emma shook the mans hand said her pleasantries and nodded her okay at the directions before turning and walking towards the rows of cubicles. "Good Luck" Sydney shouted from where he still stood. Emma turned and said "Luck?" she chuckled "Are they that harsh?" she asked."No Misses Swan they aren't but she is." The short man turned and made his way down the hallway opposite the cubicles before Emma could respond."Thank you!" she shouted across the office space before kicking herself for being so loud, so early, in a office setting.

"Thank you I guess", she mumbled to herself before hastily making her way to where she was expected to be soon ignoring the eyes that were on her from her disruption seconds earlier.


	2. Chapter 2

When Emma reached her destination she was surprised to see that no one was in the conference room. It was 7:45 and usually the people holding the meeting would be present before the presenter. "And I thought I was gonna be late" she chuckled to herself.

She shrugged and sat her briefcase down on the long black wooded conference table and took her laptop out to begin setting up her presentation. This wasn't a first for her and she knew what to do. Once she had her presentation set up on the projector she then proceeded to take out her foldable charts and her stand from her briefcase and set them up. Emma was fully prepared for this meeting. She had been waiting for two months to pitch her idea to these wealthy middle aged men. Or maybe men and a woman Emma thought back to Sydney's earlier comment. She smiled to herself as she set up the last of what she needed to present. "Today is the day my dream becomes reality" she said through her grin.

By the time she was done setting up it was 7:55. Emma sat and waited for everyone to enter. Shortly after she sat some men entered in box cut black suits. About 5 of them and they all looked similar, salt and pepper hair, kind of pudgy, practiced grins as they shook her hand and said their good mornings. Business pawns Emma thought to herself.

She didn't see Mr. Mills just yet though as she scanned the room. As if sensing what she was thinking about, a man who introduced himself as Jack Jensen said " Mr. Mills wont be joining us today. I don't know if you received the news but he retired a month ago and his heir has since taken over Miss Swan. They will be joining us." A slightly disappointed Emma said "alright then no problem." She was looking forward to meeting Mr. Mills. He was known for his warm personality and good sense of humor. He was supposedly different from the stone cold investors she met with previously. Every time she practiced her presentation she incorporated well placed jokes she knew would win him over but now she didn't know what kind of person to expect. "Don't worry Miss Swan, she shall arrive shortly.", said. "Yes don't worry Miss Swan, I am here now" a raspy voice came from the doorway. Emma turned at the sound and took in the sight before her. There stood a olive skinned petite woman with perfectly coiffed chocolate brown hair that fell just to her shoulders . She wore a crimson red blouse that matched the crimson red of her lipstick. She wore black high waisted dress slacks and a matching blazer. She looks like the the first female president, Emma thought to herself.

Emma heard the clicking of the womans black 4 inch manolos, that she only recognized because of Ruby, as the woman approached her and extended a perfectly manicured hand "Regina Mills" the woman said. "Emma Swan, Nice to meet you Mrs. Mills" Emma replied. "Ms. Mills" the olive woman corrected, "likewise Miss Swan." Emma retracted her hand from the woman who stood only a few inches shorter than her in her heels and found herself staring into hazelnut brown eyes as the woman sized her up. Ms. Mills turned to walk to her seat at the head of the table, once seated she looked up to Emma and said "Do start Miss Swan, I read your proposal and I am very interested in learning how funding a night club is going to benefit Mills Incorporated." Emma took a well needed breath and started "Alright then I first..." before she could finish Ms. Mills said "and please don't leave out the part where a nightclub is going to change a culture. I have read that line over and over from your proposal and am finding it hard to imagine." Emma laughed nervously at the perfectly postured woman at the end of the table. But her laughter dwindled as she saw a perfectly arched eyebrow raise at her. This is gonna be a long meeting Emma thought to herself. "Alright then lets talk about Knights, the life changing night club..."

* * *

Regina sighed as Emma brought her presentation to a close. It was a sigh of relief because it was the first out of the 5 since since her fathers retirement that she had seen that made any sense. The womans presentation was well prepared, her numbers were accurate, she already had a location scouted, and the woman wasn't a bundle of nerves the entire time. She even had a couple of jokes incorporated through her display of works. Although those jokes were mostly corny, they were better than the man she met with last week who had a stone cold face the entire time or the woman the week before that who sweated so hard through her blouse she made Regina want to go home and take a shower. Regina's lips turned up in disgust thinking profusely sweating woman.

Emma had a certain confidence to her that Regina admired. Regina chuckled inaudibly as the blonde who was the source of her thoughts looked directly at her and said with a cheeky grin that the brunette was on the end of not for the first time during the blondes presentation "and that is how Knights will change the culture of Nightclubs." It was an obvious rebuttal from her snarky comment she made towards the woman earlier and she liked that the blonde wasn't afraid to dish back out what she received. Shed need that in a business full of sexist men. As the small groups applaud to the presenter died down Regina stood and said "Miss Swan that was a very informative presentation. I am quite interested in discussing the matters of your presentation further with you. I will be contacting you soon." she smiled tightly. Emma looked at her and said "Thank you for your time and consideration Ms. Mills", she looked at the men surrounding Regina and said "thank you all." The man said their good byes to Regina and the blonde and began to shuffle out of the conference room.

Regina sat and gathered her belongings. She would need to print a copy of the womans proposal for her personal file so she made note to stop in the supply room to pick up some toner on her way back to her office. She was sure her dim assistant Sydney would forget the request she made this morning for it and she didn't want to sit and wait for him to come up with some excuse as to why he forgot. she shook her head trying to remember why he was even her assistant in the first place. Then she thought about the ass kissing he did to her father before his departure and remembered why. The look on his face when he thought he was being let go was priceless.

She was shaken from her thoughts as she heard a loud thud. She looked over and saw the blonde was bent over fidgeting with her laptop that now laid on the floor. The blonde knew how to wear a skirt the brunette thought to herself as she absentmindedly checked the bent over woman out. From what she heard of the younger woman prior to meeting her she assumed she was a complete tomboy. She expected slacks and a collar shirt from her. She wasn't expecting the primped woman who stood before her for an hour or so talking so passionately. The woman was beautiful to say the least. She had her hair in a neat braid across the front that fell to perfectly waved curls in the back. Her golden blonde hair complimented her piercing emerald eyes and pasty white skin. She didn't wear much makeup aside from the light eye-shadow and pink lip-gloss she had on her thin lips. Her navy blazer and matching skirt fit her well. Regina was impressed, to her their was nothing worse than a beautiful woman who didn't know how to dress. While green was not Regina's color she admitted to herself that the green blouse also complimented the blondes eyes.

She took herself from her thoughts and said "would you like some help further damaging your computer dear, or do you have it all settled?'' "I have it settled now" the blonde leaned back upright laughing lightly. Regina made her way around to the front of the room and decided to help the blonde by dismantling her foldable spread sheets and stand. Once done she handed them to the blonde. This was the closest she had been to the woman all meeting and she smelled faintly of vanilla and cinnamon. "Thank you" the blonde smiled and said. "No problem dear. Enjoy the rest of your day Miss Swan." "You too Ms. Mills" the blonde replied. Regina began to exit the room then turned back once she reached the door and said "Talk to you soon." "I hope so" the blonde replied.

She couldn't fathom why but the thought of talking to the blonde further made her stomach flip. At the time she blamed it on her failure to eat breakfast but later figured it out to be so much more than hunger.

With that she made her way to the supply room and then proceeded to the personal elevator that led her office. She couldn't help the smirk on her face as she watched the blonde fly past her in an attempt to catch the next elevator door over before it closed. She walked into her office on the next floor , closed the door that covered the elevator behind her and walked over to her desk and sat. She placed the toner down, opened the folder she was carrying and pulled out the cover sheet. "Emma Swan, the savior of NewYorks Nightlife."


	3. Chapter 3

Emma was all smiles as she made her way out the building and to her car. That is until she walked up to her Black Jeep Wrangler and saw the paper flapping slightly from the morning breeze under her windshield wiper. "Fuck" she breathed out as she snatched the paper off of her car. Her mild frown quickly turned into a smile as she read the ticketing paper. The fine amount box was empty but the script on it read "Miss Swan please find appropriate parking next time you grace us with your presence. I might not be of help next time." Emma smiled even harder to herself as she imagined the brunettes voice saying the words. Although she just met she knew that her voice was one she would never forget. If she was being honest with herself she knew she didn't want to forget anything about the woman. She used every opportunity she got during the presentation to look at the woman. Their eyes locked several times during the meeting and she already had the womans hazelnut brown eyes imprinted into her memory. When she first heard news of Mr. Mills not joining them she was rather upset. She was quickly drawn out of her sulking by the mans daughter. She was a gorgeous woman. She did everything gracefully. Even the way she sarcastically threw comments out during Emmas presentation was graceful. Emma noticed the feign face of impression and excitement on the brunettes face when she got more in depth to her presentation. She noticed the woman was taking well to her and that's what caused her cheeky grin during most of the presentation. The woman seemed stone cold at first but Emma figured she had to have up that front in a room full of men twice her age who know the business better than the bodies of their mistresses. She knew Ms. Mills was going to be a joy to be with. Only professionally of course Emma thought to herself.

She tucked the paper into the side of her briefcase and walked to the driver door and unlocked it. She opened the door set her briefcase on the passenger seat and hopped in. Once in she took her heels off and carelessly threw them into the back seat. She could see the heels of her feet were apple red through her stockings, "damn you Ruby" she mumbled to herself. She buckled up and made her way out of the parking lot.

* * *

She pulled up to a newer looking brownstone and parked right in front of it behind a beat up yellow bug. The bug was hers, it was her first car ever. She doesn't know why she kept it. Probably because of all the memories that it was apart of, the good and the bad. She made her way out of her Jeep, briefcase and heels in tow, and up the steps to her front door. She unlocked the door and let herself in. She was greeted with the mumbling of a TV in the sitting room down the hall and to her left. She cursed herself for forgetting to turn it off before she left. She left her keys on the hook next to the front door and made her way to the living room to turn the TV off. She made her way down the hall and into the room and turned the device off. She set her briefcase on the dining room table and made her way to her bedroom around the corner. She ungracefully flopped onto her bed and took her forgotten cellphone off of its charging dock by her bedside table. She was in a rush this morning and left it behind. She unlocked it and the screen lit up with a new text from Ruby. Well really like a few text from Ruby. Emma loved her best-friend and new she was anything if not persistent. She opened the first one.

**Ruby: Hey Em, Good morning! Just wanted to wish you good luck with your presentation. You got this girl. You REALLY have it if you wear what I picked out for you!**

**Ruby: You did wear it right?**

**Ruby: Em? **

**Ruby: EMMA MARIE SWAN I SWEAR TO BUDDHA IF YOU DIDN'T WEAR WHAT WE PICKED IM GOING TO KILL YOUR LITTLE WANNA BE BUTCH ASS! ... call me when your through with it.**

**Ruby: On my office phone ...**

She laughed at the texts from her best friend and decided to call her after she ate something. Her stomach had been doing little flips all morning. It was from her failure to eat breakfast she guessed. She was so very wrong.

She sat up from her bed and began to remove her clothes. She took her blazer off and set it onto her bed. She unbuttoned her blouse and let it slide onto the floor along with her skirt. She managed to get her stockings off without ripping them, she smiled at that it was a small victory for her. She took her discarded clothes and walked over to her closet and place them in the hamper. She shuffled through her large walk in closet and decided on putting on and over sized Tupac shirt that was well worn. She had it for years she stole it from an ex that she favored less than the shirt. She decided on not wearing any pants as she did most times while home alone. She didn't feel the need to hide the scars on her thigh.

She pulled the shirt on and walked out of her closet. She continued out of her room and unraveled the braid in the front of her head and let her hair fall even more so over her shoulders. The braid imprinted waves in the front didn't match the curls in the back but she could care less. She walked over to her stereo that sat in her home entertainment center and turned it on. She decided on listening to some R and B, it always soothed her. Ruby didn't understand her love for R and B or her love for hip hop. Emma was raised in the Bronx where hip hop was the biggest in the 90s , she would sneak out and go watch local rappers battle each other at the Rabbit Hole open mic night every Thursday. She tried rapping but found it wasn't her strong suit so she stuck to listening. Her parents didn't really approve her love for hip-hop, they thought it degraded women and celebrated poverty. Emma loved the music because of the freedom of expression that comes with the music. Once her parents made names for themselves and they moved out of that part of town she held on to her love for the hip hop culture and picked up a love for r and b also. She turned the volume up and walked over to the kitchen. "Lay your head on my pillow, here you can be yourself. No one one has to know what you are feeling, no one but me and you ouuuu", she sang along to the Alicia Keys song as she pulled some left over Mexican food out of her refrigerator.

She put the contents on a plate and placed it into the microwave. She discarded the Styrofoam container and picked a fork up, grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and waited for her food to be done heating. Once it was done she took it out and sat at a stool by her counter. "Mmmmm" she hummed as she inhaled the aroma of the food. She was in love with Natalie's, it was the best vegetarian Mexican food restaurant on her side of town. She ate her food while humming along to the music still playing from her living room, Tyreses "Signs of Love Making" was now playing.

After she finished her food she washed and dried her plate. She put it away grabbed her phone from the counter, turned the music down some and then dialed Ruby's work number. It only only rung twice before her friend answered.

"Emma did you wear it or not?", she laughed as she sat down on her couch. "Yes mom I wore it, stockings and everything. Chill out Rubes." "Great! so you looked sexy, how did the other stuff go?" "Leave it to you to call the presentation that I was their in the first place for the other stuff and my outfir the main attraction" Emma said. "Well howd it go?" " It went great actually, best presentation I gave yet." "Were those middle aged pigs druling over your outfit? Did Mr. Mills live up to his repetation?" "They werent pigs Rubes, and it wasnt Mr. Mills it was Ms. Mills" Emma said. "Sure they werent" Ruby replied, "Ooooh Ms. Mills as in his hot daughter who dresses like shes the first female president?" Emma laughed at the last comment, "I guess I wasnt the only one who thought the president thing and yes, the hot daughter." Ruby laughed , "whats so funny?" Emma questioned. "You just called Regina Mills, the all powerful and rich heir to Mills Incorporation hot." Emma rolled her eyes at her friend although Ruby couldnt see it " Ha ha ha, what was I supposed to say? Shes not ugly. I heard she was sacastic and snarky which she was but she was really cool. She didnt have anything negative to say after the Savior slide", Emma laughed. "Ugh I cant believe you called yourself a Savior infront of a board of investors." Ruby sighed. "You think there gonna buy your pitch Ems?" Emma paused and thought before answering. This wasnt her first meeting with investors, it actually was the 6th meeting she had. All the other boards said the same thing "Ms Swan your club would come and go. Too much of a gamble to place any money in. Were sorry but were gonna have to pass this one up" It hurt just the same everytime she was rejected. She was beginning to become discouraged. She would hate to give up on her dream and have to take her mother up on her offer in the family business. The last thing she wanted was to be was a lawyer. Her parents were very well known lawyers in New York and owned King and Son, one of the top litigation firms in New York."Its in your blood" her father always told her but Emma knew since she was little she didnt want to get into the business. She just wasnt cut from the same cloth as her parents and younger brother Henry. Henry loved law and is the top of his class in his 2nd year of law school at Harvard. While Emma could argue Henry was as crazy as she was if not crazier he just had a passion for law and fell right into the swing of the family practice. Emma didnt want to travel that road. That was just another thing that Emma felt she didn't have in common with her family. She always felt out of place. "Hellooo Emma, do you think they'll buy it?" Emma shook herself from her thoughts at the sound of her friends voice and said "Yea I think they will. Ms. Mills told me she would be talking to me very soon", Emma smiled at the thought of talking the the brunette again." Oh she did, did she? What else did Ms. hot president say?" "Rubes stop it. Not like that. She just seemed to really enjoy everything I had to say." "I knew the skirt would work. She was interested all right", her friend laughed. "Rubes are you saying my outfit sold her?" Emma playfully scolded. "No what Im saying is your ass looked nice in that skirt" she laughed, "no but really tell me evrything. Go through your morning step by step. What was different this time? I wanna hear it all. Even if you snuck off into a closet with Ms. Mills." Emma shook her head "Ahh Ruby what am I going to do with you." "Your gonna walk through your morning! Now get to it before my assistant realizes Im not on the phone with the florist for the party this weekned" Ruby said. Emma Laughed "Well I missed my alarm so I woke up 30 minutes late..." Emma told her friend everything from her morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for the follows. I have so much of this story in my head. Writing is like a therapy for me so I write as much as possible and this story just keeps making its appearance in my thoughts. Please favorite and review, it would be greatly appreciated. Let me know what you guys think. That's all for now, enjoy (:**

Emma woke up the next morning with a pain in her neck. She saw through her still foggy eyes that it was 1 in the afternoon. She didn't realize how long she had been sleeping. Being that she didn't have anything to do until 3 o clock she shrugged it off, yawned and got up from her bed. She put her arms out and stretched every bone in her body until she couldn't. She fell asleep at an awkward angle last night for whatever reason and it was causing her body to ache.

After she got off the phone with Ruby yesterday she decided to watch a movie. One movie turned into all of the X-Men movies and before she knew it, it was 4 o clock in the morning. She shut her living room TV off and headed to bed after that.

Once Emma was done stretching she made her bed and opened her patio blinds letting all the natural light pour in. That was the thing she loved most about her house. It had windows everywhere and a patio that led from her room directly to her nicely sized backyard. She pulled the blinds back, opened her patio door and stepped outside. She went and turned the filter on for her pool and then watered the few rows of flowers she had in her backyard. Once she was satisfied she stepped back into her room closed the sliding door and decided she would take a shower.

She was meeting with Ruby at 3 o clock to help her pick out flowers for the event she was planning for the weekend. Ruby was a well known party planner in New York. She did her job very well and was currently planning a 25th Birthday party for their good friend Belle French. Belle was a quiet girl and didn't really party to much so Ruby wanted to Make sure the event was perfect. That's why she needed Emma's help with some last minute details because Her, Belle, and Ruby were the three musketeers. They had been friends since Emma and Belles freshman year of college at NYU. Ruby is two years older than the girls and was a junior Communications major. Belle was a dance major and Emma had a double major in business and hospitality. Emma and Belle had been roommates their Freshman year and had met Ruby at a party their first week in school. The three of them clicked instantly and have been great friends ever since.

Emma slipped out of her oversized shirt and boy short underwear and made her way to her closet. She discarded her clothes into the hamper and grabbed a clean towel and wash rag. She went into her bathroom set her towels down and turned her shower own. She turned from the shower to brush her teeth and then hopped into the shower.

The hot water buzzed over her morning Goosebumps and woke her up fully. While in the shower she thought about how grateful she was for Ruby. Ruby always helped keep her busy. She even gave her the title of "party promoter". She didn't need the money but she did need the distraction. Most times it seemed like Ruby was the only one who believed in her dream of owning a chain of nightclubs and party halls. She loved Ruby and she knew the girl loved her too.

She grabbed her wash cloth from outside the shower and lathered it with her cinnamon vanilla body wash. She bathed and washed her hair and then exited the shower. Once she was done showering she walked out of her bathroom and back into her closet in a search for something to wear. She decided on a loosely fitting white v neck and some black True Religion skinny jeans that she had yet to wear.

Despite Emma being well off financially she wasn't into big brand labels. She didn't like for her wardrobe to display her families wealth, she just wore what she liked. And most times that was a t-shirt and jeans. She didn't want to be a product of her parents money. Although she was grateful for her trust fund she rarely used it on anything other then bills and necessities such as food and clothing. That was part of the reason she went to investors to fund her business. She didn't want her parents money to have control over another thing in her life, she wanted to do it on her own. And while she didn't believe in spending 200 dollars on a pair of jeans, Henry had bought her these jeans as a gift and she decided she would try them out.

She grabbed a black lace bra and matching underwear. She walked out the closet and put her clothing choices on her bed. She put her bra and underwear on and then made her way back into the bathroom to lotion her body and start on her hair. She blow dried it and ultimately got frustrated with its wild natural state and decided she would put it in a high ballerina bun as it would be the easiest thing to do. She exited her bathroom and looked at her clock it was already 2:30, she needed to hurry. She got dressed and decided on wearing only mascara and ruby red studded earrings. She pulled on her favorite pair of red toms.

On her way out her room she grabbed a black satchel and slung it on her shoulder. She placed her wallet, cellphone, sunglasses and chap stick inside. She made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar and a Gatorade and then made her way into the front of her home. She grabbed her keys, set the alarm then made her way on out. After she was in her jeep she called Ruby to tell her she was on her way "You're always late Em" said Ruby, "Yea, Yea, I'll be there" Emma replied in between chews of her granola bar. She set her phone down put on her shades and turned her radio on then made her way out of her neighborhood.

* * *

"Daddy I do wish you would let me fire Sydney already. His incompetence is grating on my last nerve and if he compliments me on my hair one more time I'm going to slap him", Regina said into her phone. She was shopping around in Soho when her father called and asked how work was going. He had called her every other day since his retirement with the excuse that he just wanted to check up on his baby. Regina didn't deny his claim she just felt like the business was the baby he was referring to and not her.

"Honey Sydney is a good man, he just needs a little push every once in a while." her father said, "and you cant blame him for complimenting you sweetheart, I'm sure him and every other man in that place knows a beautiful woman when they see one" he chuckled. "You are a Mills after all, good looks are in your blood." Regina laughed at her father and said "I'll give him a push alright maybe down some stairs." "Regina, no" her father said. "I'm just joking daddy and I know that he might find me attractive but he knows as I'm sure every other man in that firm knows I am a Lesbian. I'm not interested." Her father laughed "I'm sure they do honey but they have big egos and think they can change that. You will get used to them trust me. but honey I have to go now, I will talk to you soon. I love you dear." "I hope I do daddy" Regina said "and alright I love you too, Bye", "bye." She hung up and placed her phone into her purse.

Regina was grateful her father was so accepting of her sexual orientation. She knew from a young age that she was attracted to women and when she decided to tell her father on her 18th birthday his only response was "tell me something I don't already know honey."

She glanced at the clock in the store she was currently in and saw that it was 4:20, she had been out for almost an hour and a half and was quite hungry. She decided she would walk across the street to Baja Bistro to sit and eat. She didn't have any plans for the rest of the day as she had the day off from work. In all honesty she knew she could come and go as she pleased from her job with no questioning about it from her co workers. Regina chose not to abuse her power as boss though. She was already expected to be a lazy slacker because she was heir to the company and didn't exactly start from the bottom so she didn't want to give anyone anything to talk about. The only reason she was off was because she had a dental appointment earlier in the day. She knew she had to work hard and be persistent at work to get any type of respect in the business world. In a business filled with middle-aged men their wasn't much room for a 27 year old daddy's girl. At least that's how they saw her, it didn't matter that she graduated top of her class from Stanford University or that she was her dads right hand girl for four years now. None of that mattered if she didn't show them instead of telling them how business savvy she actually was.

Regina paid for the items she had waiting at the counter, grabbed her bags and made her way across the crowded street and into the restaurant. A server greeted her and placed her at a table near the balcony. She ordered an apple martini and was given a menu. She didn't usually day time drink but she felt she deserved it. She had finally found a business worth investing in for her fathers company, now her company too she reminded herself, and she deserved a drink .Once the waiter returned and she ordered a Caesar salad and a stuffed bell pepper she pulled out a folder containing some spreadsheets she had brought from work. She didn't have anything better to do while she waited for her food so she decided to get some work done. Like she said she had to prove her place. She diligently reviewed the sheets and covered much of them. When her food arrived she said "Thank you" to the server and set them aside.

She ate in silence for awhile until a man approached her table. The man approached her table with a smile and said "Hey Regina, didn't think Id see you here." He sat down and smiled at her. "Hello Robin, do make yourself comfortable" she offered him a small smile and said. "I don't mean to impose ma lady, I was just stopping g to say hello", he stood and smiled. "enjoy your meal ma lady and see you at work in the morning". "Yes see you tomorrow, goodbye Robin" Regina said. "enjoy the rest of your day" "You too" the man said as he turned and left.

Regina sighed a sigh of relief as she saw him exit. She didn't like Robin he thought just because he was good looking and on good terms with her father that he would sleep with her. He came onto her for almost a month before he realized she wasn't interested at all. He thought she didn't like British people when she turned him down until he realized she played for the other team. She walked past Robins office one day and overheard him talking to Leroy about Angelina Jolies back side in her new Movie Maleficent and thought it was the perfect opportunity to let him know. She popped her head into the office and said "sorry to interrupt your guys productive conversation", "no ma lady, you weren't interrupting anything important" Robin nervously said. "I just thought id let you know I agree with you" Regina said. "agree with what?" Robin asked. "With Angelina Jolies backside, It did look rather enticing in Maleficent. Man the things I would do to her. Id let her put me under a sleeping curse for the rest of my life if she gave me one night with her" she said and winked. Robin sat with his jaw dropped as she left his office. "I told you she was gay" she heard Leroy say as she made her way down the hallway. Regina laughed at the memory and continued to eat her meal.

* * *

Emma and Ruby had been out all afternoon. After arguing over what flowers would make up the center pieces at the dinner party they decided on an arrangement of white flowers as it was an all white party. From the florist they decided on a shopping trip in Soho. More like Ruby decided but Emma didn't have any plans so she went with the flow.

After an hour or so of shopping they decided to grab a bite to eat. They went to one of there favorite spots The Baja Bistro. They always went their together because they had an amazing vegetarian menu. Ruby and Emma were both vegetarians although Emma had a hunch that Ruby still indulged in meat. She never mentioned it though. Upon arrival they set their shopping bags in Emma's car and made their way to the entrance. Went they walked in a tall man in a Polo and Bermuda shorts bumped into them. He looked back at the ladies and waved his apologies. He smiled at Emma upon recognition. "Oooh hottie smiling at you Ems, 1 for Emma 0 for the wolf" ruby said as they approached the server. "I do wish you wouldn't call yourself a wolf its weird Rubes. The only reason he smiled at me was because that was the cute guy from the elevator I told you about." "Oh that was him? He was cute. His shorts were a little too tight for my liking but he was a hottie none the less. Wolf approves" Ruby laughed as they were seated on the balcony. "Really the wolf thing, cut it out" Emma said as she sat across from her friend. "Hey, if you can call yourself the savior then I can call myself the wolf" Ruby said. "Touché Ruby, Touché", Emma laughed.

Once there drinks arrived and they ordered their food Emma brought up the subject of Ruby's love life. "Sooo how are you and Graham Rubes?" she said. "Um were fine. I mean were working on us. Were communicating better and his stupid sex strike is over." Emma laughed "That's good, I cant believe he kept that up for an entire month." "Yea it was a struggle at first but we fixed that problem Sunday night soo" Ruby laughed, "I wasn't the only one missing it to say the least" she said. "Ew Ruby I don't want to hear all of that. I'm just glad you guys are good. When you got back from India I thought you guys weren't gonna hook back up but I was obviously wrong." "Yea so enough about me what about you? When is Emma Mack Daddy Swan gonna get some play?" Emma laughed at the nick name and said "Emma isn't going to get any play with a nick name like that." "No for real Ems the last time you got laid was like 6 months ago. What happened to what's her face?" "It actually was 5 months ago thank you very much and Ashley was nothing serious. Just a fun time I guess"

Emma knew that wasn't true. Her Ex Ashley broke her heart. They had been together for a year when Ashley randomly came over, had sex with her all night, and then told her they couldn't be together anymore. She said she wasn't ready to tell her parents that she was shacking up with a woman. Emma argued that they weren't just shacking up, that they were in love and they broke it off then and there. Emma didn't understand why Ashley felt pressured to tell her parents anything. She didn't believe in labels. She hasn't officially came out to her parents as anything. She thought of it as you just love who you love. They assume that she is solely interested in men she guesses. She doesn't think she'll ever date another man after what happened to her though.

Ruby noticed the change in her friends mood and decided to change the subject of the conversation. "Ms. Mills is pretty hot" Ruby waggled her eyebrows at her friend. "No way Ruby no mixing business and pleasure remember. Plus she wouldn't be into me anyways." Emma didn't really care about the business and pleasure thing but honestly didn't even think the woman was interested in women. Ruby smiled widely. "What?" Emma asked. "If she wasn't into you then why is she staring at you like a hawk?" Emma stiffened "what do you mean staring at me? Rubes what are you on?". Her friend nodded towards something behind Emma so she turned and followed her line of sight and she saw her. Regina was sitting at one of the tables at the opening of the balcony reading something from a folder and sipping on what looked like an Apple Martini. She was wearing white skinny jeans and a lavender blouse with silver sandals and matching accessories. She looked good. Her skin looked as though it was glowing in the light of the day and her was glistening as well. She didn't look like a female president today, she looked like a Greek goddess of some sort. She wasn't staring at Emma as Ruby put it. "Go talk to her Ems, she looks bored", "its called being concentrated not bored, maybe she's working." "Don't be such a punk, just go say hello. Or didn't expect to see you here, something smooth." Emma rolled her eyes at her friend.

She didn't expect to see Ms. Mills again so soon. Although this wasn't planned she didn't want to give up an opportunity to converse with that perfect woman again. "Fine alright. I'm just gonna say Hi." Emma rose from her seat just as their food came. "Don't touch my food" she pointed her finger and warned her friend." Yea yea just go" she shooed Emma off.

* * *

Regina was basically finished with her meal and was finishing up reading the last chart in her folder when she heard the clearing of a throat in front of her. She looked up and was met by emerald green eyes and a small familiar smile.

"Hey" the slender woman said. "Hello Miss Swan, wasn't expecting to see you here." The woman's smile grew, "Wasn't expecting to see you here either Ms. Mills. I was out on the balcony eating with a friend" she pointed to Ruby, " and I'd thought I would come say hello to you."

Regina's stomach was flipping again and this time she knew it wasn't because of her failure to eat. It was because of the woman standing before her in skintight designer jeans and a loose shirt that cut into a v so low she could see the top of the blondes black bra. The woman looked gorgeous even in casual attire Regina thought to herself. Her hair was in a ballerina bun that sat on top of her head that showed her pale neck and displayed her almost perfect posture.

"Call me Regina" she said "there is no need for formalities outside of the place of business. "Okay Regina" the blonde said as she leaned over the back of the chair opposite Regina. Bent over the woman shirt hung slightly open showing Regina more of her bra. "How about you call me Emma than, its only fair" the blonde said with a cheeky grin.

Is she flirting with Regina thought to herself. No she couldn't be. My gaydar isn't going off. Nope not even a little bit.

"Well Emma I was just looking over this chart and I would like your opinion on something", the blonde smiled and said "sure, hit me."

I'll hit it all right the brunette thought to herself then kicked herself for thinking such thoughts in such a public setting. She was sure her cheeks were beet red.

"Would you say that someone calling themselves a savior is a sign of cockiness or just a corny joke?'' she smiled at the woman. Emma laughed and the brunette wished she never stopped because it was one of the most beautiful things she had heard in a while. The blonde said "I would say it is a corny joke that got taken too far one day and became a life goal." The brunette laughed "well if your life goal is to become the savior then you have your work cut out for you don't you?" "I suppose I do" the blonde countered. "I think your friend is getting lonely over there" she pointed to a tall slim brunette woman who was rather pretty. Damn if she and all her friends are this stunning should start hanging out with them the brunette thought to herself.

The blonde looked back and chuckled "oh that's my best friend Ruby" "Ruby Hunter .'' "Ruby Hunter as in the party planner?" Regina asked. "Yea that's her, why do you ask?" "Well I am attending and event she has planned for an old family friend of mines. Belle French." Emma's jaw dropped slightly "You know Belle I presume?" Regina said. "Um Yes I do. She is my other best friend, she has been since college. I had no idea she knew you." Regina's eyes widened slightly "Yes me and Belle were good friends growing up. We fell out of touch in high school when I graduated. We recently reconnected and her birthday party is this weekend as I'm sure you know." "Oh wow that's great. I will be there this Saturday as well. I guess I will see you there", the blonde smiled. "I guess you will" Regina said. "Well I should probably get back to Ruby before she eats my food. It was nice seeing you Ms.- uh I mean Regina. Enjoy the rest of your day." "Nice seeing you as well Emma, enjoy your meal" she said and nodded her head "bye." "Bye" the blonde said as she walked back over to her table.

Regina called for the check and paid for her meal. When she was walking out she looked back to the blonde who was now eating in between talking to her friend and smiled to herself. She liked the blonde. She left the restaurant and made her way to her silver BMW. She placed her shopping bags in her backseat and proceeded to get in. She started her car and sat their smiling. Today was a great day she thought. But she couldn't wait until Saturday.


	5. Chapter 5

**Party is in the next chapter. I didn't want to break it up so I didn't start it in this one. This is just a little something to keep the ball rolling. All grammar mistakes are my own please excuse them. Please Review and fav to let me know to keep going or not, its greatly appreciated. That's all for now, thank you for the read and the follow for those of you who did. Enjoy (: **

Saturday Morning Regina awoke to a big empty queen sized bed, as she did most of her days. The last time she had someone to wake up to day after day was about a year ago when her and her girlfriend of two years broke up. She was heartbroken for a while. Mel cheated on her and she decided it was best they went their separate ways that day, a year ago. She had one or two flings after Mel but they never stayed the night and if they did they'd be gone before she woke up. She has been over Mel for some time now but still wasn't sure where the future of her love life was going. She smiled as she thought of a certain blonde.

Regina had a "business dinner" with Emma Thursday night after calling her that morning and confirming that Mills Incorporated would fund her night club. It was the blondes idea to have the meeting over dinner, "It would be half business, half celebration come on", she whined. The brunette gave in eventually and they had a nice dinner at a small Italian restaurant in little Italy. She didn't usually take to well with whining but she thought it to be quite cute that the blonde would want to celebrate with her of all people. It was rather pleasant to sit down and have a conversation with the blonde. Their topics were mostly business related as it was a business dinner but they also talked a little about other stuff as the night went on. She found out the blonde was a vegetarian, her favorite color was green, she was from New York, and her favorite singer was Adele. The little things she noticed about the blonde made her admire her even more. She talked so passionately about her plans for the nightclub and couldn't stop thanking her. "No need for the constant thank-yous Emma. You presented us with an amazing idea and we are simply giving you the extra push you need to secure that idea. Thank you Emma" she told the blonde. As the night went on their conversation got extremely casual and she couldn't help but think that it was sort of like a date. They didn't leave the establishment until 11 o clock. Regina smiled to herself in her bed as she realized that she'd be seeing the blonde again tonight. That was motivation enough for her to get out of her bed, fix it and straighten up her room.

Once done straightening her room she headed down the hall and into her kitchen to prepare herself breakfast. Once in the kitchen she turned the mini stereo that sat on the island counter on. Out came the sounds of Adeles Hometown Glory. She was quite surprised to find out her and Emma shared similar tastes in music. She had assumed she was a punk rock type of girl. She needed to stop assuming things about the blonde because she was constantly surprising her. The blonde had told her that R and B and Hip-hop were her favorite genres of music. Regina liked Hip-hop occasionally but she loved R and B. When Regina was young she could remember hearing Anita Baker and Gladys Knight playing throughout the house as her mother cleaned. She would learn the words and perform the songs for her father, and mother who would sing along. That was one of the good memories she had with her mother. She was young and her mother was healthy.

Regina smiled at the memory and opened her two door stainless steel fridge. She pulled out some turkey bacon, a bagel, and some eggs. She sat the things down on the counter and went in search of a pan from under her cabinet for the eggs and bacon. She pulled one out set it on the stove, plugged the toaster in and began to prepare her meal.

Once she was done eating she got a phone call from her good friend Kathryn. Kathryn went on about how she met a woman who would be perfect for Regina."I don't need you to keep trying to set me up Kat. I am perfectly capable of catching my own fish", Regina said to her friend as she settled on a stool at her island counter.

"Yea well if your such the fisherman, why haven't you had a lay since the first of the year?"

Regina sighed at the unfortunate memory. She had a little too much to drink on New Years Eve and ended up sleeping with a sleazy brunette from the bar she was at for most of that night.

"Ugh don't remind me of that god awful memory. And just because I haven't had sex in awhile doesn't mean anything. I don't need sex to be happy."Kathryn laughed heartily through the phone, "yea right your an even bigger fiend than I am Regina." Regina rolled her eyes at the statement although it was mostly true "on a more serious note" Regina started, "I was serious!" Kathryn laughed. "Let me finish Kat. This is important", "Okay" her friend said. "On a more serious note. I've taken interest in someone." "You've taken interest in someone? Way to make your love like sound like a business. Who is it?" "Ha ha ha, Its Emma Swan. The woman I told you about the other day. The one whose club the company is helping fund." "Oh I see. I knew just from the way you talked about the girl their was something going on" her friend said. "What about the whole no mixing business and pleasure thing? What if it ends badly? Wouldn't you be forced to see her still? That would be no good Regina." Regina sighed "First Kathryn don't get ahead of yourself. I said I was interested not proposing dear. I have no idea if she even likes women. Secondly if we even became involved, and it ended badly I would never have to directly handle business with her. I really don't have to do it now. The only reason I'm taking her project on is because its my chance to prove myself to my peers and plus I'm interested in her like I said. Her club is going to be great and I want to be directly involved but if such a falling out occurred between us I would have to step down. Their would be no harm done. Even if their was it'd be worth it because she, as far as I can tell she is a wonderful person." "Aw Gina has a crush. I bet your blushing all the way to your ears right now aren't you?" Regina shook her head at her friend but noticed she was in fact blushing by looking at her reflection in her stereo. "Shut up" she chuckled. "You Know what, go for it. She seems like the perfect catch from what you've told me. Just make a move," Kathryn said. "I'm gonna figure out if she even likes women and go from there. If she is I wanna do this right and take it slow. Date her properly."

Regina shook her head at the thought of dating the blonde. She did't even know her that well but here she was planning to date her. She didn't want to get ahead of herself but couldn't help the smile that came to her face when she just said the womans name. This was fast even for her, it hadn't even been a week but she knew she had to take a chance. Emma Swan was something special.

* * *

Emma woke up to an alarm clock that wasn't her own. She raised up on her elbows and realized she was in bed with Ruby. They had had a movie night together at Ruby's the previous night. Emma looked down and laughed at her friends snoring and her drooling mouth that was wide open. It was comforting that she could lay in the bed with her friend without any awkwardness.

She thought of a different brunette she wouldn't mind sharing a bed with. She had seen Regina Thursday. Her and the brunette went out to a celebratory "business dinner" after Regina called and told her that Mills Inc. would be helping her with her club. Emma persuaded the woman to join her after about 5 minutes of whining. They went to restaurant in Little Italy and didn't leave until about 11 that night. She didn't expect it to run that long but she was glad it did because she enjoyed the brunettes company and conversation. She figured out a couple things about the woman. Her favorite color was purple, she was from New York just like Emma, and her favorite singer was Alicia Keys. And although she had only just met the woman she liked her. She liked her a lot but doubted the woman was interested. Ruby insisted that Regina was "so into" her but Emma couldn't clearly tell. She didn't want to mistake kindness for flirting. She didn't want to get her hopes up.

She reached over her snoring friend, turned the alarm off and slapped her friends arm. "Wake up Rubes. If I'm up you have to be up too." "Ugh leave me alone Ems, shit", her friend groaned. "Ruby Isabelle Hunter I know good and well that you heard that alarm. Your the one who set it in the first place. Wake up we have shit to do" she pushed her friend a little harder than she meant to and the brunette went flying off of the bed. She didn't hear the squeal from her friend she was expecting, all she heard was a low chuckle.

"Dammit" Emma mumbled as her friend slowly stood with a devious grin. Ruby reached for a pillow and raised it above her head with both arms letting the covers she was previously wrapped in slide to the floor. "Please not now Rubes. I'm sorry, I ..I didn't do it on purpose" Emma backed off the bed and against her friends dresser,"I Love you best-friend in the whole wide world" she said in a smaller voice than usual as a pillow came flying at her. It hit her square in her face.

"You started it", Ruby laughed as she grabbed another pillow. Emma ducked the second pillow thrown at her and lunged after her friend. She wrestled Ruby to the ground and groped her friends sides where she was most ticklish. "Stop! Stop Ems I'm sorry!" her friend yelped as she struggled under her. "Whats the magic word big head?", Emma laughed at her friend. "Please, Please, Pleeeeaaassee!", Ruby yelled. Emma got up off her friend and smiled down at her "Your such a child" she said. Emma turned to walk away from her friend but as she did Ruby said "sike" and pulled on her leg. "Payback is sweeter in the mornings!" Ruby yelled as she tugged on Emmas flannel pajama pants in an attempt to get her back down on the ground. Emma struggled to pull away from Ruby. Between her attempt to walk away and Ruby's constant tugging her pajama bottoms had been pulled completely down to her ankles in a matter of seconds.

Ruby's laughter instantly died as she caught sight of the scars and bruises that Emma had on her upper, inner thigh just beneath the lining of her black cotton underwear. "Shit" Emma said as she pulled her pants up and stormed off. "Ems come back here. What is ... what are those? Where did-" Ruby called to her friend. "Don't worry about it" Emma turned at the door and said in a voice that was pleading for her friend to drop the subject at hand. "It doesn't matter now." "What doesn't matter Emma, talk to me" Ruby said in a sincere tone she only reserved for serious moments between her and her best-friend. "I'm gonna go home and get myself together. I'll meet you at the hotel to help out with the last minute stuff. Is 5 okay?" Emma said as though nothing happened. "Um Yea 5. And bring your clothes with you, don't want you wearing grey instead of white by the time the party starts." "Okay, see you later. Bye" "Bye" Ruby said as her friend made her way down the hallway and out of sight.

* * *

When Emma made her way out the condo and down stairs to her jeep her phone vibrated. As she closed her car door behind her she opened the message she had from Ruby.

**Ruby: Ems you better not be late or so help me God I will kick your ass. **

Emma laughed at her friend then responded. Ruby was trying to lighten the mood that Emma left her condo in and the blonde appreciated it.

**Emma: God? what happened to Buddha**

**Ruby: He will need to keep me from kicking your ass too. And make sure you bring what we talked about you wearing. Ms. Mills will be there (; Shes probably expecting you to look amazing after that "business dinner" you took her out to.**

**Emma: Alright I get it and I know she will be there. For the last time she is not interested in me Rubes.**

**Ruby: Em get out of denial. She wants to jump your bones and you know it. Now get out of my parking lot and get home so you can be on time later. Bye **

Emma shook her head at her friend as she started her truck. She thought about the way Ruby's face looked when she saw her scars. Like she knew. She would have to explain eventually, Emma thought to herself. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to tell somebody. Emma sighed as she drove out of the parking lot and made her way home. She thought about Ruby and Regina on her ride home. How would she tell Ruby about what she saw? And how would she tell Regina she would very much like for her to jump her bones? It was a longer drive home than usual.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't really know how I feel about this chapter but I hope you guys like it. Please fav and review, I would really appreciate feedback. Thanks for the read.**

* * *

Regina took a look at herself one more time before stepping out of her room. She looked into her full body length mirror and smirked to herself. She was wearing a close to white, creme colored dress. The top of it started just above her armpits leaving the smooth olive skin of her shoulders on display. The upper parts of her back was also on display as the back of the dress formed a slight V. The smoothe silk looking fabric fit the brunette like a glove all the way down to just above her knees where it stopped. She had on 5 inch nude colored pumps and a nude colored clutch purse that had gold spikes on it . Her hair was parted down the middle and perfectly waved on each side.

It took her a while to get the waves right on her shorter hair but she managed it with her trusted curling wand that she got as a gift from Kathryn last years Christmas.

She wore golden studs and a matching two knuckle ring that was a simple line. Reginas make up was light and natural looking to match the light coloring of her ensemble, she had on a light layer of golden mineral eye shadow, some mascara and a dab of light pink lip gloss on. "Job well done" Regina said to herself in the mirror before switching her lights off and making her way out of her house and out to her driveway.

She had struggled with deciding on what to wear all day. When she first heard it was an all white party she was gonna wear her go to white dress that always worked for her. But once the brunette figured out that Emma would be at the party she knew that wouldn't do. She came across a dress in her closet she hadn't yet worn and decided on it as soon as she tried it on and saw how form fitting it was. Regina knew she would look good no matter what she wore and felt kind a childish basing her outfit on impressing a girl but she could care less. She knew Emma would love her in this dress.

She made her way down her driveway and out to the town car she had requested for this night out. She knew drinks would be served at this party and didn't want to have to risk driving home even slightly tipsy.

She thanked the man who stood in standard drivers attire who was holding the door for her and slid in to the backseat. As they began there way out of Reginas neighborhood she started to feel nervous. Although she had saw the blonde three times this week she was nervous about seeing her tonight. Tonight was different. Tonight was the night she would figure out if the blonde was interested in women or not. She would figure out if she would even stand a chance with the gorgeous woman. She hadn't yet figured out how she would bring it up, she surely couldn't just straight up say "so do you enjoy dating women, being in relationships with women oh and having sex with them?" Regina wasn't so blunt when it came to things as personal as sexuality. She had been automatically accepted by her father and immediate family and friends when she decided to come out but she knew everyone wasn't as fortunate. Emma hadn't dropped any obvious signs to her sexuality so she couldn't be sure. Even if Emma was in fact interested in woman, was she open with it? Was she involved with someone? Was she even interested ? Regina had a million and one things running through her mind. She knew she would have to ask the million dollar question before the night was up and that made her heart skip a beat, or two. Regina slumped against the backseat of the town car and tried to compose herself.

* * *

The town car stopped about 15 minutes later in front of the venue. Game time Regina thought as she took the hand offered to her and stepped out of the car. She straightened he dress, lifted her chin, and strode confidently through the main entrance that led to the party. Definitely game time.

* * *

"Its game time Em! Fucking game time!" Ruby yelled as she made her way back into the club house of the hotel where the party was being held. Emma and Ruby had spent the last three hours running around like chickens with there heads cut off trying to make sure everything was perfect. They instructed every hired hand as to what they should do from the moment the help arrived at 5:30. They had their hands in everything. The lighting, the food, the drinks, the music, the lounge arrangements, absolutely everything. They both wanted to make sure everything was absolutely perfect for their friend Belle. She was such a kind soul to everyone she came across. Everyone except Ashley, she just didn't like the girl. Emma and Ruby thought that Belle deserved quite the production.

Emma walked up to Ruby and attempted her friends signature wolf whistle but failed miserably. Her whistle came out sounding like a bluebirds whistle."Thats what you call a wolf whistle Em? I deserve more than that half assed whistle. I look damned good!" Ruby laughed.

Emma slapped her friends arm, "Shut up, you get the concept. And your so modest its amazing" she said sarcastically. "No but really you look good Rubes. Your boobs are like slapping me in the face their so right in that dress" Emma laughed.

Ruby was in a snow white skin tight dress that had three fourth sleeves. The dress fell a couple inches passed the brunettes knees and complimented her long slender torso well. The neck line exposed most of the womans cleavage in a squared neck line. She had on a fuchsia and silver plated necklace that stopped just above her cleavage. She wore her hair half up in a ballerina bun and half down her back. She had on light make up in shades of pink. To top it all she wore some sparkling fuchsia pink open toed pumps. She looked great.

"Rubes I swear in a different life we dated. You look bad ass in that dress" Emma said. Ruby smirked at her friend and playfully winked at her, "I would say you look bad ass too but your wearing sweats and a Yo Mtv Raps shirt Ems. Why aren't you dressed yet?" The two woman had agreed about 45 minutes ago to go in to their rooms they had for the night at the hotel and get dressed for the evening but Emma couldn't resist giving the D.J her two cents on what type of music should be in rotation. Two cents turned into a conversation on how LL Cool J is one of the most underrated pioneers of hip hop. "Sorry I got caught up with the dj guy. He is a trip" Emma said. "LL Cool J again Ems really?" Emma bowed her head in shame. Her friend knew her too well for her own good. "Go get dressed Emma now! Or I will have the dj play classical symphonies all night and tell the band to go home." Ruby pushed her friend in the direction of the entrance of the hotel lobby. "Alright, alright I'm going" Emma grunted as she made her way to the open doors. "Come back sexy Ems! I wanna see some ass! Remember Ms. President is coming." Emma shook her head at her friend as she made her way into the lobby of the hotel.

She walked over to the elevators and made her way up to the 17th floor rather quickly. She walked down the hall to where her room was and used the electronic key to enter her room. Her outfit for the night was already laid out on her bed. She slipped out of her clothes and rushed into the shower. She had to hurry so she could have time to properly get ready before guest started showing up. She showered and got out. She wrapped a towel around herself and then went to the bed and sat. She was hesitant about wearing shorts at first. She didn't want to risk a repeat of what happened that morning with her thighs and all but it would be dark at the party so she figured it would be fine.

She was gonna look good tonight. Not for Ruby, not for Belle, not for herself, but for Regina. She should want to look good for herself she thought. She figured she had to look perfect for the perfect woman tonight. She smiled to herself thinking about being able to see the brunette again. Especially in this more casual setting . Yea they had saw each other out and they had went to a "business" dinner but they were at a party tonight. One of Ruby Hunters parties at that. She would get to see the woman in an Environment she never had before. See how she dealt with casual crowds rather than business crowds. See how the woman handled her liquor rather than how she handled her employees. Emma loved the thought of getting to know the woman either further. She laughed to herself as she wondered if the woman danced. Emma would surely be dancing tonight, it was a danced themed party. The venue was picked solely because its amazing dance floor. Belle loved dancing and it was a perfect choice. "Maybe I'll steal a dance tonight" Emma said to herself as she finished blow drying her hair that was surprisingly cooperating tonight. She walked out the bathroom and went over to the vanity placed in the corner of the hotel room and sat down. She took out some foundation and began to apply it. "Game time Emma. Game Time" she said to herself.

* * *

Emma had taken longer than she intended to getting ready. She made a last minute choice to wand her hair instead of the bun she initially planned. She looked in the mirror at herself and deemed the extra time well worth it because her hair was perfect. She knew Ruby was probably gonna chew her out but she didn't care. She wouldn't be Emma Swan if she wasn't casually late.

She grabbed her iPhone from the charger and looked at the time. It was 10:00 which meant the party was well underway, it started at 9, and the press had already started to die down in the front. Emma tried to stay out of the cameras as much as possible but it was hard to do that with rich and famous lawyer parents, a socialite party planner best friend, and another socialite choreographer best friend whose party this was. Emma occasionally got caught in the local tabloids.

Emma applied some perfume before making her way out of her room and down the hall to the elevator. She smiled to herself as she landed in the lobby and saw the flow of people making their way around the corner where the club house was. Success she thought. Ruby was an amazing event planner and always had a great turn out to whatever she planned. She was very good at her job. Emma loved helping Ruby out and learning from her slightly older friend. But she couldn't wait until it was her club with a steady flow of people going inside. Soon Emma soon, she thought to herself.

* * *

Regina made her way into the hotels lobby and followed the flow of people who she assumed were going the same place she was around the corner. She made it to the entrance and after she ensured she was on the guest list with security made her way into the club.

The vibration and sound of some song she did't recognize was playing as she walked through the short hall of the darkened club and made her way to the main room. It was breathtaking. There were people swarmed everywhere, the dance floor was already packed body to body, a DJ booth set on an elevated platform with lights of all colors bouncing off of the turn tables, there were women in cages set in each corner in colorful leotards dancing to the beat of the music, lights shining all over, flashes matching the drop of the beats. She saw a bar on the side wall that was surrounded with stools filled with people, and as she walked further in she saw a hallway that led to a room with slightly more lighting she made her way to that room to find the hostess and the birthday girl.

She made her way down the hall and into the room that was equally as themed. It had dark lighting, neon strobes occasionally, a smaller replica of the bar in the outside room, and some lounge couches. It was a more personal setting and only a handful of people was in their. She scanned the room and immediately saw Belle in the corner conversing with a short petite pixie haired brunette. She made her way over to the woman and grabbed her fore arm from behind. The woman turned around and smiled "Hey Regina" she pulled her into a hug. "Hey birthday girl" she returned the hug with just as much love.

She had once been extremely close with Belle. They were two peas in a pod growing up. They lived in the same neighborhood and their families were really close as well. There mothers had been the best of friends before things got bad. They grew apart slightly in Reginas last years of high school and ultimately lost touch once Regina graduated. At a charity event Regina was attending during the Christmas season last year she ran into her long lost friend. They caught up all night, exchanged numbers and have since rekindled their friendship.

"How are you?" Regina asked. "I'm great, and you? Wait hold on," she pulled the woman she was previously talking to over to her, "This is my good friend Mary. Mary this is Regina one of my closest child hood friends." Reginas heart warmed at the last part of the introduction. She put out her hand and said "Hello nice to meet you" she smiled. "Nice to meet you as well" the woman smiled brightly back. The woman had dark brown hair cut into a short style and blueish green eyes that were very similar to a certain blonde she knew. Regina drew her attention back to Belle and said, "this is quite the party you have going on" she motioned around the room with her hands. Belle laughed "I cant take credit for any of this really it was all Ruby and Emma. They really are something special" she eyed the room around her taking everything in.

Reginas heart jumped at the mention of the blondes name. She wanted to ask where she was but didn't want to lead Belle on to any suspicions. She couldn't risk the woman knowing how she felt towards Emma. You know just in-case things didn't work out as she hoped they would. "Quite the friends you have, its beautiful in here. and out there" she pointed towards the main room through the hall. Belle looked behind Regina and smiled, "speaking of the devils" she said. Regina turned and saw Ruby approach with Emma trailing behind her. "Hey Belle I've been looking for you for like 15 minutes" Ruby said. "I was talking to Mary and Regina. Ruby this is Regina, Regina Ruby." Ruby smirked knowingly for some reason Regina couldn't understand "Hello Regina." "Hello Ruby nice to finally meet the renowned event planner" Regina smiled. "Nice to finally meet the Ms. Mills Emma talks so much about. Hey Mary nice to see you." "Hey girl" Mary said. "Hey guys" the blonde who had been silent for the past few moments said, "hey Regina" Emma smiled.

Regina was at a lost for words for a couple of moments as she took in the blondes appearance. She looked different. Of course beautiful as usual but its as though she had some sexiness that wasn't usually present. She was a sexy woman obviously but Regina never saw her in her sexy attire. Only her casual beauty and professional gorgeousness. She liked it. The blonde woman was wearing some sparkled silver shorts that stopped mid thigh and were loosely fitting, a white sheer shirt that made a low v all the way down the valley between the womans breast and was loosely tucked into her shorts, a white three fourth sleeved blazer with a red lining and some red suede pumps with a pegged heel and laces that made the woman stand about 4 inches taller than Regina even when the brunette was heeled herself. Her hair was perfectly wanded and was falling over her shoulders so beautifully. She had on dark makeup and red lipstick the same shade as her shoes and lining of her blazer. She looked good. Really good.

Reginas mouth was suddenly dry as she felt a heat rise in her lower abdomen. "Hello Emma. You look really good." Shit. I didn't mean to say that. Too much. "I mean uh you just uh look-" she tried to say before the blonde interrupted her rambling and said "thank you." Regina nodded her thank you not trusting her mouth to say anything for a moment. She wasn't usually one to get so flustered but the blonde was making her feel things she hasn't in a while. Things she wasn't ready to try and explain. This is gonna be a long night Regina thought to her self. Especially if Emma plans on doing any sudden movement in those shorts. Oh God if she dances I'm gonna loose it. I'm gonna loose it definitely she thought to herself.

* * *

"Thank you" Emma said slightly shocked at the compliment she received from the brunette. She saw Regina sizing her up as she has done the past three times they've seen each other but this time it was different. There was something else in the brown pools the woman had for eyes. Something couldn't quite decipher. She could of sworn it was lust but she knew better than that. Or at least she thought that she did.

Ruby wolf whistled at Emma."Now that's a whistle Em take note" Ruby laughed. Emma rolled her eyes at her friend. Ruby continued "I don't know about you guys but I wouldn't mind a drink right about now, care to join me at the bar. The outside one." "Uh yea I'm down" Emma said. "Yea lets go" Belle said. Ruby turned and started out of the room with Mary and Belle following closely behind. Before Emma left she turned to Regina and said "You look really good too." Regina smiled and said "thank you." Emma turned and started to follow her friends "now lets go see about a drink" she said to Regina who followed her out of the room.

The woman had got their drinks and had been making there way around the crowd socializing for about an hour. Belle would occasionally step on to the dance floor as a request of a dance from the birthday girl. The other woman didn't dance too much though. Regina mostly talked to Emma and Belle. She wasn't too comfortable in conversation with Mary for whatever reason and Ruby was never around her long enough to hold any conversation.

Regina was enjoying talking to Emma. They talked about the most random things for a while. They slipped into some playful bantering that wasn't unusual for the two when Emma mentioned something about Reginas choice in drink, apple martini. Emma herself was drinking some dark drink in a short thick glass. Emma claimed that Regina was a light weight and Regina said she could drink the blonde under a table any day. Eventually they got caught up in a conversation about the DJ song choices. Regina wasn't surprised when the blonde told her that she was in charge of the music for the night.

The music was nice a lot of up beat dance songs, the occasional r and b, and a whole lot of hip hop club bangers and reggae . Regina knew Emma was enjoying the hip hop as was Belle. She remembered Belle loved hip hop the most in their child hood. She is the one who introduced it to her.

Mid conversation with Belle Regina saw Emma grin wide and grab Belle by her arms and say "Oh my gosh we have to do it Belly, we have to." Belle shook her head laughing and said "no Emma please and don't call me Belly." Ruby then joined the pair smiling stupidly similar to Emmas smile and said "were doing it." "What is it that your doing?" Regina asked puzzled. "This is our song Regina, we have an entire routine to it and were gonna perform it. Don't judge us its um uh yea. Prepare to be amazed." "Yes very amazed by their lack of rhythm" Belle said. "Aw shut up your the one who came up with it, lets go" Emma said pulling her friends arms to the middle of the dance floor and motioning with her head for Regina to follow. This should be interesting Regina thought to herself as she followed.

Ruby looked up to the D.J. ,whistled, and circled her hand over her head. It must of been a signal to repeat the current song because the man nodded his head and looped the song. The song that was playing was an older song Regina knew all too well. She smiled at the realization of the song playing Jumpin' Jumpin' by Destinys Child.

"Ladies leave your man at home cause the club is full of ballers and they pockets full of gold." The song started.

The three women mad a triangle formation in the middle of the dance floor with Emma being the center, Belle slightly behind her on her left, and Ruby on the right. They started by just a rotating of their hips in a circular motion and mouthing the words to the song. Emma being in the front took on all the words of Beyonce. Once the main words played they started their actual dance movements. Sways of the hips, head bobs, slicing of air with forearms and gyrating of hips. It was quite the production.

Everyone surrounded the three woman in a circle laughing and cheering them on but not Regina. Regina stood their in a trance watching Emma as she swayed her hips and turned sideways, gyrated her hips in a way that made her chest bounce slightly and her shorts ride up a bit. It was quite the sight. Emma was smiling and laughing the entire time and Regina could not bring herself to look away from the blonde. The woman looked like a sex goddess Regina thought to herself.

The song eventually came to a stop and the crowd erupted in applause as the woman jokingly bowed. The trio made their way over to where Regina was standing. "You guys are seriously something else" Regina laughed trying to distract herself from the heat engulfing her. "You liked it? Maybe you could join us next time" Ruby laughed. "No thanks I'm not much of an organized dancer. I would ruin it" Regina laughed. "Maybe once we get Knights opened your first act can be the three of you. I'm sure it would draw a crowd" Regina said jokingly. Emma laughed "Yea maybe."

* * *

As the night went on the women somehow found themselves back in the lounge area of the club. Regina suspected that the women were exhausted from dancing but none of them would ever admit it. Regina herself was slightly drained from dancing and she didn't dance half as much as the other three women did. The alcohol might also have something to do with it. She hung around Emma, Ruby, and Belle for majority of the night. With the occasional chat with an associate or stranger by the bar area. Mary had been wrapped up in conversation with some man most of the night so she wasn't among the group. Regina was thankful for that, she didn't know the woman well but wasn't getting a good vibe from her.

Regina had watched Ruby and Belle dance the night away. Emma joined them occasionally but mostly stayed in the same vicinity as Regina. Regina sensed the woman was trying to keep her company and make sure she was comfortable in the large crowd. Emma seemed to know everyone in attendance of the party and could of very well bounced from place to place the entire night but she didn't. Although she could handle herself Regina appreciated the gesture very much so. Her and Emma shared pleasant conversation and enjoyed the music for some of the time as well. Regina felt comfortable just enjoying the vibration and sound of the music with the blonde. They even danced together for a while. Well in a group really, with Belle and Ruby but it still counted. It wasn't the bumping and grinding Regina would of very much enjoyed with the blonde woman but it was definitely something.

The women now sat on a long white couch that curved around a glass table in the corner of the lounge room. "Tonight's been great guys really. Thank you for this, I needed this breather from work" Belle said. "I don't think its considered a breather from choreographing because you were dancing almost the whole night" Ruby laughed and Emma joined. "Its been lovely hanging out with you all" Regina said with a warm smile. "I'm glad you could make it Regina" Belle smiled.

"I'm surprised Emma hasn't been dancing her life away like she usually does when there's a dance floor, drinks, and good music in rotation" Belle said laughing. "Yea usually she'd have the girlies lining up to dance with her" Ruby added. "Shut up Ruby. I'm surprised you aren't out there dry humping Graham still" Emma said. "Hey hey hey Belly started it" Ruby pointed at Belle. "Graham and you are a couple?" Regina asked. "Something like that" Ruby replied. "Yea there a couple. Don't be fooled, there more off and on then Rent on Showtime" Emma said laughing.

Regina chuckled at the blondes outburst. The three of these women were clearly best friends. All they did was make fun of each other and laugh at each other. All there jokes were filled with love. It seemed as though they all admired each other for different reasons and it made Reginas heart warm. It was similar to the relationship she had with Kathryn.

"Thats golden coming from you because your clearly the candidate for committed relation ships" Ruby said. "Suck it Rubes" Emma said. Regina could of swore she saw a slight pang of sadness across the blondes features at her friends comment. Maybe it was just the dark lighting or the alcohol. "I'm sure Emma has the ladies lined around the corner trying to get a chance with Mack Daddy Swan don't you Ems" Belle laughed. The blonde shook her head and laughed, Ruby laughed too.

Regina would of laughed at the nick name if she could process what she had just learned. Ladies lined up, as in women. Holy shit Emma is gay. She was fucking gay and I have a chance Regina thought to herself. Maybe I heard wrong "Your a lesbian Emma?" She was double checking. Emmas head shot up and cheeks visibly reddened even in the dark lighting. "Well I'm not really one for labels. I think of it as I just like who I like ya know" Regina nodded because she understood. She knew the burden that some had to carry because of labels put on them. For her identifying as a lesbian gave her clarity but not all saw it like that. "But if I had to take on a label than yes I am a lesbian" Emma continued. "Me too" Regina said in a low voice. "Cheers to that" Ruby held her glass she was holding and then downed it without waiting for the other women to follow suit. She must know something I dont Regina thought.

Regina felt overwhelmed with the information she had just received. Emma Swan was interested in women. I cant take this Regina thought. I need another drink. "I'm going to the bar be right back" she got up abruptly and made her way to her destination. "So much for my gaydar" she mumbled to herself.

* * *

"Shes a lesbian Rubes" Emma mumbled to her friend on their way out of the club. "I told you Ems. My gaydar never fails" Ruby nudged her friend and said. The group of women were making their way out of the club. It was 3 am and the party had been over for an hour or so. They stayed behind all the other party goers in the lounge just conversing among each other.

They talked about everything. There was no censor of topics, probably due to the fact that they were all pretty drunk. Emma figured out that Mary Margaret took strip tease classes which was a shock to her and everyone else in the small group. She only knew the woman for a month or so and knew she was very conservative so that was a surprise. She also figured out that Belle was having an affair with an older man in the middle of a divorce which didnt really shock her for some reason. Belle was quiet but she wasn't a nun. Among all the conversation and things shared the most interesting piece of information to Emma was that Regina was a lesbian. She wasn't really shocked, more excited than anything. If the fact that she was gay slipped pass her maybe the fact that she was interested in her slipped by her too. Nah too soon Emma thought to herself. Way too soon.

The group of woman made it to the lobby. Ruby said her goodbyes and made her way up to the room she booked for the night. Belle and Mary slurred their drunken good byes and shared a cab back home. They lived in the same condominium complex. That left Regina and Emma. Regina was waiting for her driver she told Emma as they walked to the front of the hotel and exited through the rotating doors. "I'll wait with you" Emma said. " You don't have to Miss Swan. I'm fine waiting by myself. He should be here any minute." "I wasn't asking Ms Mills" Emma smiled and said. "I wouldn't want you to get swept up by the big bad wolf out here" she laughed like a dork internally thinking of wolverine. Real smooth Emma, no more X-men the blonde thought to herself.

The brunette laughed "If anyone were to sweep me up right now I highly doubt you'd be able to chase anyone down with those shoes." "I'm quite quick on my feet these shoes would do me and you justice" Emma said poking her chest out slightly in a superman stance." "They do you justice alright" Regina said. Either Emma was really drink or the older woman was checking her out. Raking her eyes up and down the blondes body like she was going to pounce on her there and then. "Yup I'm drunk" Emma mumbled a little louder than she intended. "Aren't we all dear" the brunette said. They both laughed a little and then a silence engulfed them. They were standing in front of the hotel side by side, shoulder to shoulder now. Emma didn't know what to say. She knew what she wanted to say but her words were failing her at the moment. She looked over to the woman beside her and smiled at the sight. Her cheeks were flushed and her clutch purse kept sliding down her fingers. She was wasted. Despite her being drunk her hair was still perfectly coiffed and she still looked amazing in the dress.

A black town car pulled up in front of the women and a short man stepped out. He made his way around the car opened the back seat door and said "ladies" signaling for them to get in. "Oh uh- I'm not umm going home with her I mean uh Regina. No ride for me" Emma hurriedly said. Regina walked to the driver and said loud enough for Emma to hear "Not tonight anyways" and patted his shoulder. She then turned to Emma who was standing with her jaw to the ground "Good night Emma, well morning now. Talk to you soon" then the brunette winked at Emma and slipped into the backseat. "Good nigh- uh morning, bye" Emma managed to say. The driver closed the door and made his way back around to the drivers side. The car pulled off and made its way into the night.

Emmas mind was going a mile a minute as she made her way into the lobby and onto the elevators. What did she mean "not tonight" does that mean eventually she wants me to go home with her. No she probably just meant that one day eventually I would ride Regina "shit no, ride with Regina is what I meant" she corrected herself out loud as she opened the door to her room.

She took her clothes off and decided on sleeping in a simple t shirt and boy shorts. She went into the bathroom and washed her makeup off. After she was done she exited the bathroom and went straight to bed. She stared up at the ceiling thinking of the nights events. "That woman is going to be the death of me" she said to herself. Before she knew it her thoughts of Regina turned into dreams of Regina and she was fast asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Just a little bit of Ruby and Emma friendship in this chapter. Some thoughts from Regina on the party also. This chapter isnt too much but next chapter things get heavy so just a heads up. Please fav and review. Thanks for the read, enjoy (:**

* * *

"Fuck me" Emma groaned as her and Ruby made their way into Emmas brownstone. "I know someone who would gladly take you up on that offer" Ruby said with a wink to her friend. "I feel like crap. I haven't been this hungover since college." Emma said as she threw herself down onto her couch. "Ah college. Good times" The brunette said. "I thought you came over to help me with this hangover not to reminisce Ruby" Emma said pointedly. "I am. Shut up you big baby" Ruby said walking over to the blondes kitchen. "You have nothing in here Ems" she said as she looked over the items that were in the bare fridge. "YEA I KNOW," Emma said putting emphasis on each word for dramatic effects. "Friday I was supposed to go to that new farmers market that just opened up around the corner from YOUR HOUSE but SOMEBODY ditched me last minute for their boyfriend." Ruby rolled her eyes and said "he is not my boyfriend Ems how many times do I have to tell you and Belly that and I'm sorry we kind of got caught up" she smirked.

"Yea whatever, your gross" Emma said folding her arms and pouting like the child she often acted like. "Save me the 3 year old routine Em. How about once you stop being hung over like a frat boy, we'll get dressed and go?" Emma smiled and unfolded her arms "sounds like a plan. So how about we get rid of this hangover with one of those greasy bear-claws from the corner store. They'll soak this liquor right on up" Emma said while forcefully batting her long dark blonde eyelashes. "Pleeeaassee?" Ruby shook her head at her friend and said "Yea yea stop your begging. I'll go but when I get back you have to tell me what happened when you walked the president out to her car last night" Ruby waggled her eyebrows at Emma. "Nothing happened" the blonde said sighing.

Ruby walked over to where she was still slumped on the couch and said "If I come back with the goods and you don't spill I'm gonna eat them all myself. "Alright just go" Emma said rolling her eyes and shooing her friend in the direction of the hallway that led to the front door. Ruby smiled bent down and patted Emma on the head playfully "I'll be back then." She turned and left.

Emma slumped even further into the couch thinking about last night. It was so much to process. For one Regina was gay she thought to herself. Regina was gay. _Oh yea and right Regina was fucking gay with an armory full of suggestive jokes. _

* * *

_Left, right, left, right_ is all that was running through Reginas mind at the moment. Well that and the lyrics to Adeles "Rolling In The Deep." She always had a clear head space when she ran. Most times she went on runs for that exact reason, to clear her mind. The acheing of her muscles and soreness on the bottom of her "flat feet" as her dad calls them is well worth the piece of mind she gains from the exercise. Running is her go to "cure" for everything and today she happens to be curing a slight hang over and a mind that's running a mile a minute. Although her morning run is only helping with one at the moment.

Regina came to a stop right in front of her house. Done with her run and exhausted she lowered the rounded head phones that shed been wearing from atop her ears to around her neck and made her way to her front door and lets herself in. She made her way to the back of her home and into her bedroom and immediately stripped off all of her clothes. I must of been running harder than I thought she thinks to herself as she takes in her sweat drenched clothes. She walks into her large bathroom and slips her clothes into the already open laundry bin and then proceeds to turn her shower on. She hops into her shower and immediately sighs at what the hot water is doing for her sore muscles.

Now that her run is over her mind is drifting back to her post run thoughts. All of her thoughts are really involving one subject. Emma Swan. She is thinking of how Emma looks, how good she looked last night especially, how she danced, how she laughs, how she hums along to songs quietly thinking no one hears, and how shes interested in woman, how shes interested in women, how her hair perfectly falls over her shoulder and _oh yea how shes interested in women_."Stop this. It's no big deal" Regina tells herself while she squeezes some shampoo from the bottle and starts to massage it through her hair and scalp.

Regina was nervous the previous night before the party about figuring out if Emma was interested in women but that was only half of the battle. Now that she knew Emma was in fact attracted to women she needed a plan. Regina thought on how the blonde might not even be interested in seeing anyone at the time. Or maybe she wasn't one for involving pleasure into business. Regina was always a confident woman but she was even questioning if the blonde would be interested in her. Maybe I'm not her type Regina thought o herself as she turned the water off, grabbed her towel and stepped out of the shower.

She walked over to her her sink and wiped the fog away from the mirror that rested above it. "Nope. I have to be her type" she dropped her damp towel to the floor scanned her mostly dry now body and repeated with a confident smirk "I have to."

* * *

Emma and Ruby were strolling casually through the farmers market with recyclable bags in tow. They had been there for no longer than 20 minutes but their bags were already stuffed with all types of food items. They would stop at almost every other stand and buy or taste something. At the moment Emma and Ruby were both eating a sample of some ambrosia they had stopped to taste at a stand that sold fruit and organic honey. "This is so good" Ruby said over chews to Emma. "Yea it is. Who would think to use honey. Henry would love this stuff" she said. She looked over to the woman behind the stand and said "I'll take two pints please." The woman nodded at her and rung up her ambrosia and handed it to her. Emma paid the woman and offered her a small smile. She than walked off from the stand and made her way back on her route with Ruby in tow. Ruby looked at Emma and said "speaking of Henry. Isn't he coming home for the summer soon?"

Emma immediately smiled. She loved her younger brother and was excited she'd be seeing him soon. Emma and Henry had always been close despite their 3 year age difference. They were two totally different people but somehow the same also. Their bond was hard to explain but Emma was glad she had Henry. She was especially happy he was coming home from school just in time for their parents marriage anniversary celebration. Emma wasn't really close with her parents so being around them without Henry present was most times awkward. They would rant on about how the firm was doing and how it would be in her best interest to join them. Her parents were very career oriented. They weren't always that way but ever since they started their firm when Emma was 13 and Henry 10 they had been extremely driven. Them succeeding wasn't a bad thing but it did put a strain on their parenting abilities and in turn their relationship with Emma and Henry. She used to be able to talk to her parents about anything but now she hardly talks to them about anything and its as if they don't even notice.

"Yea he'll be here Friday night" Emma said. "Oh cool, is he staying by your place or in the royal palace with the parent" Ruby chuckled. Emma rolled her eyes "He is staying with me Rubes not in the mansion that's entirely too big to only house two people." "Hey if your parents ever need a roommate let them know I'm totally down. Their place is amazing. The drive to Hamp town is totally worth it." Emma laughed lightly as they made their way to the exit of the outside market "yea sure I'll let them know Rubes because their definitely down to house my wild best friend." Ruby nudged her friend with her elbow "shut up. You know they love me. Especially since I'm the one planning their anniversary party next month." Emma shook her head as she walked up to her Jeep unlocked the trunk and placed her items inside. Ruby followed suit.

"Damn its 1:00 already. Today is flying by" Emma said as she hopped into the driver side of her truck and started the ignition. "Time is going quickly for you probably because you spent the majority of your morning nursing a frat girl hang over" Ruby laughed as she strapped her seat belt. "Yea yea whatever. Am I dropping you off or are you staying at my place today?" Ruby looked over at her friend and said "Umm you can drop me off. Me and Graham are having diner with his dad tonight." Emma laughed lightly and said "oh okay then." "Whats so funny?" Ruby said. Emma shook her head and said "he's still not your boyfriend huh?" Ruby poked Emma on the side of her head near her temple as she said "NO HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND DAMMIT!" Emma laughed harder "okay okay,stop poking me. Your not supposed to mess with the driver its dangerous." "Whatever" Ruby said. A couple minutes later Emma pulled up in front of Ruby's condo building. Ruby hopped out of the truck and said "Thanks Em, call me later. Love ya" she waved as she closed the door and made her way to the trunk and removed her bags and closed it back. Emma rolled the passenger window down as Ruby was passing it and said "love ya too. Have fun with your not boyfriend" she laughed. "Yea thanks asshole. Let me know if you get an unexpected visit from the President and she takes you on the floor of your foyer" she winked at her friend and walked to the revolving doors that led to the inside of her building. Emma rolled her eyes and drove off from the curb.

* * *

Emma was in the middle of preparing her dinner of Zucchini Herb casserole when her phone ringer went off. She set down the knife she was using to chop vegetables and reached over the counter to pick up her phone. "Hello" she answered without checking the caller I.D.. "Hello Emma" Reginas voice sounded from the phone. Emmas eyes widened as she moved the phone slightly away from her face to check the I.D. and it was in fact Regina, her phones screen was lit up with the name "President."

"Hey Ms Mil-ahhh Regina" Emma said into the phone as she made her way to one of the stools surrounding her island counter and sat. Her knees were suddenly week."Have I caught you at bad time?" Regina said. "I know its sort of late but I have something that I wanted to tell you and I didn't really want to wa-" "Its fine Regina, it's not late at all. Im not too busy just fixing some food. Whats up?" Emma cut Reginas rambling off. "Alright then. Well as you know we have scheduled our visit to the club location for Friday at 2 in the afternoon" the brunettes said. "Yup. Thats what we have planned if I'm remembering correctly" Emma said. "Well I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch before going to the location. There's this great little restaurant around the corner and it'd be so close to the location, I figured we should you know, maybe get better acquainted with the surrounding area because we should know who is going to be around your establishment. Two is so close to the lunch hour it'd make the most sense to just have it together so we wouldn't have to rush." "Yes that sounds great" Emma said calmly although she felt the complete opposite. "Lunch sounds great." Emma could hear Regina let out a breath on the other end of the line "Okay, I'll text you the address of the place sometime this week then." "Alright, thanks" Emma said. "No problem" Regina responded. There was an awkward pause of silence between the two woman until Emma cleared her throat and said "Hey Regina." "Yes?" The brunette on the other end of the phone answered quickly. "Last night was fun huh?" Regina laughed lightly "yes it was very fun to say the least, I had quite the time thanks to you." Emma laughed "thanks to me?" "Yes thanks to you keeping me company all night and your impromptu dance performance, I was thoroughly entertained the entire night" Regina said. "No need for thanks the pleasure was all mine. Your quite the dancer yourself" Emma laughed "even if it did cost me a swig of apple martini on my blouse." "It isn't my fault that you and Ruby forcefully pulled me to the dance floor while I was in mid sip. You earned that slip up yourself Miss Swan" Regina said between laughs. "Yea, yea redirect the blame all you want." Both women laughter died down, "well I will let you get back to your cooking" Regina said, "enjoy the rest of your night, bye Emma." "Bye Regina, see you Friday" Emma said. "See you Friday" the brunette on the other line said then clicked off the line.

Emma set her phone down and slid off the stool and made her way back around the corner. She picked her previously abandoned knife up and got back to chopping. "She used work as an excuse to have lunch together. Clever lady, clever lady" Emma shook her head and laughed. "Cant wait til Friday" she mumbled to herself. A brunette across town couldn't wait til Friday either.


	8. Chapter 8

**I know I said this chapter would be heavy but its not sorry. That'll be next chapter. I just want to time evrything out right. Anyways please fav and review I'd appreciate it. Thanks for reading, enjoy (:**

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. I thought you were coming from Cambridge as in Cambridge Massachusets Hen not the Cambridge in freaking England!" Emma was walking out of her Brownstone on her way to lunch with Regina, when Henry called and got her up to speed on his flight information for the day. "No Emma I've been at Cambridge in England for a month. Thats where I'm flying in from. I told you this like two weeks before I even left, come on" he said groaning. "Henry when you told me you were going to Cambridge I thought you were hammered and didnt know you were already in Cambridge. Cambridge Massachusets that is" Emma said in a "duh" type of way. "Really. I even said 'Hey Emma I'm going to Cambridge to study abroad should be cool huh?' and then you said 'yea have fun with the a broad' and started laughing. What did you think I meant?" Henry said over the line.

Then it clicked "oh my gosh Henry I thought that was code for you were going to bang a broad in your dorm. At Cambridge" she laughed "you know maybe I wasn't listening." "Yea you think?" He said. Emma could envision her younger brother rolling his eyes over the line at her assumptions. "Any way as I was saying. I'm at my first and only layover . After I get on this next flight it'll take awhile for me to get there. I'll be there around 8 o clock. You still picking me up? Or are you gonna be with the uhh President lady?" "What the hell Henry no I'm picking you up. And who told you about Regina? " Emma started her Jeep. "I talked to Ruby like on Tuesday. She had a question about mom and dad for their anniversary thing and she said you weren't answering so she called me and spilled all the beans." Emma rolled her eyes as she put her sunshades on with her hand that wasn't holding her phone "friggin Ruby man. Well I will be there to pick you up at 8 don't worry about it." "Alright see you then gotta go I think their boarding. I'll hit you when I land. Love you bye" Henry said. "Love you too, bye kid." "I'm not a kid" Henry said hanging up. Emma moved her phone from her ear and sat it on the passenger seat next to her binder as she drove off shaking her head. "Sure you aren't" she mumbled to herself as she made it out of her neighborhood and onto the main streets.

* * *

Regina's driver pulled up to the restaurant where she was set to meet Emma in five minutes. Se didnt usually cut so close to meeting times but her driver was late picking her up from her home in turn making her late. He was dealing with some "personal issues" so it seemed.

Regina got out of the car herself not waiting for David (her driver) to open the door for her. She stepped onto the side walk and closed the door behind her. She stepped and opened the passenger door, David looked at her with eyes that said he was going through something "David go home. I will make my own way this evening. Stay off call until Monday morning." "No its fine Ms. Mills I can" he said "no go home and stay off call until Monday. Understood?'' Regina cut him off. "Yes ma'am" he nodded and looked straight ahead. "Thank you." "No problem" she said closing the door and turning her way down the stoned path that led to her destination. She figured it was best she would leave David be over the weekend to deal with whatever it was he needed to.

She looked down at her watch and it was 12:30 pm the exact time she was set to meet Emma at this restaurant. She walked through the doors and up to the hostess. "It'll be me and one other" she said "they might have already arrived." The server grabbed a menu from under the podium she was standing at and asked "Is your name Regina?" "Yes" Regina said. "Oh splendid, right this way" the hostess said walking towards the tables in the dining area. The place smelled wonderful. It smelled of garlic roasted something and steamed vegetables.

Regina followed her until they reached the back of the establishment where a small stage area was where a band might of played at a later hour. She saw what she knew was the back of Emmas head. Her golden hair was in a high ponytail that fell down her back despite its angle, Emma had long hair. The girl sat slightly slouched sipping on what looked like water. Her back was facing Regina but she could still make out some of what the blonde was wearing. She had on black dress slacks that slimmed down as they made it to her royal blue loafers that had a small black tie in the center of each. She wore a matching royal blue button up blouse that stopped mid sleeve. At that moment Regina was glad she decided on her professional attire of a black pencil skirt, stockings and white button up blouse. And of course her signature black pumps. She had thought of dressing casually for this but had decided it was still a matter of business even though she asked Emma to lunch first. It took all the courage she had to pick that phone up and dial that number the previous Sunday night but she was happy she did. Even if Emma just thought this was a business lunch it was a step in the right direction. Regina wasnt usually the type to be nervous and jittery, it was unusual for her. But Emma wasn't the usual she leveled with herself.

"Hello Emma, sorry I'm late" Regina said as the hostess pulled out her seat and set her menu in front of her place setting. "Thank you, I'll take a water no lemon" she said to the hostess and then the woman left her and Emma to the table by them self.

"Hey dont be sorry your barely even two minutes late" Emma said smiling at Regina as she sat across from her. "I know but still usually I'm more punctual" Regina said. "Yea punctual just how you were punctual to our meeting two weeks ago" the blonde countered laughing lightly. Regina playfully rolled her eyes and pointed at the blonde "hey that morning doesn't count. I spilled a latte all over my top that morning and had to go home and change completely.'' The blonde shook her head and said "tsk tsk tsk first your late a whole two minutes, then you roll your eyes, and to top it all off you point at me. How rude lady Mills. Where are your manners this beautiful Friday?" the blonde said jokingly as she eyed Regina over her menu.

Regina laughed as she found herself doing a lot in the blondes presence. She loved how comfortable they were going back and forth with one another. It reminded her of the way the blonde was around her 'best friends' the previous Saturday. She wanted to be something of a friend to the blonde but so much more at the same time. She wanted to be her best friend, confidant, her lover, she wanted to be her everything. It made no sense to her how she was so into a woman she had only known for two weeks. She couldn't even be sure if the woman was interested but the heart wants what the heart wants she reasoned with herself. _No not the heart. The body, mind maybe but not the heart. This is just a simple infatuation right? _Regina thought to herself.

"I apologize for my poor manners Miss Swan" she mocked after coming back from her thoughts "however will I makeup for such rude behavior?" Emma closed her menu and sat it down "well you can start by figuring out what you want so we can order. I'm starving" she said laughing. "Oh and I'm the rude one" Regina smiled at Emma as the blonde nodded her head in confirmation. "You wouldn't be starving if you had a proper breakfast" she said setting her menu down and folding her hands over it looking at the blonde. "Not today" the blonde said "unless you count a granola bar and half of a Naked a healthy breakfast." Regina laughed a little and shook her head "no I don't count that as proper at all" she said. "A woman such as yourself should have someone making you breakfast every morning" Regina said before she could catch it coming out.

Dammit. She wasn't supposed to drop a hint so obvious. She had been thinking of how to approach the subject this entire week after last Saturdays revelations. She didn't want to rush to anything. Yea she wanted to drop hints and flirt but she wanted to be more subtle about it. Oh hell its too late now she thought to herself as she saw the blonde before her blushing red.

"A woman such as myself?" the blonde questioned. "A beautiful woman" Regina said kicking herself under the table for jumping the gun again. The blonde blushed even harder "oh. Oh um" she visibly swallowed. Emma cleared her throat abruptly and said "ready to order now?" The blonde was obviously avoiding accepting the compliment properly. She was flustered Regina thought. She smiled a small smile and said "yes I am."

* * *

"I'm telling you Regina soon every club in the country is gonna have some type of dancer hanging from the wall or in a cage somewhere. It turns people on, it gets them hype. People like getting hype" Emma said as she danced a little as to display what 'hype' was.

Emma and Regina had finished their lunch and made their way around the corner to the location that they were set to view. Their lunch was amazing, the food and the conversation. Regina was such good company Emma wondered how she got by in conversation with anyone else. The woman was so intriguing she had a lot of stories to share whether it was a day at the office or her recalling her adventures of when she was off in California for college. She was very funny. Emma liked to think she was funny herself so she appreciated when people got her sense of humor. She also appreciated every time the woman laughed. It was like it was a little loop of heavenly music sent from God himself. It was beautiful and Emma felt accomplished every time she got the brunette to laugh. They had initially started off with conversation regarding Knights but as always the conversation platform fell to the ground and crashed with casualty.

"And I'm telling you that if every club in the country is going to have basically strippers than they might as well become brothels" the brunette said walking beside Emma. "Oh please their not gonna be strippers their going to be professionally trained dancers in full leotards hanging from right there" Emma pointed to a platform under the high rise ceilings in the venue they had been in for the past hour. Emma had already seen this place, she had so many visions for it. Since this was Reginas first viewing of the place shed though she would share all of her ideas with the woman. For the most part she seemed completely enthralled with Emmas idea except the 'dancer' one of course.

They were finishing up the tour of the place when Emmas phone went off "oh, give one minute" she said picking up her phone. "No problem" Regina said nodding and walking to the door giving Emma her privacy. "Whats up Hen" she said into the phone. "Hey Ems I'm here" Henrys sleepy and probably Jet lagged voice said through the phone. "Already I thought you said 8 its like 7" Emma said. "I did say 8 but I'm here now so can you come get me or do you want me to call mo-" "NO!" she cut her brother off. "Last thing I need is a speech on your safety from mom even though your basically a grown man. I'll be there in twenty minutes, okay?" "Alright see ya" Henry said hanging up. "Rude" Emma mumbled under her breath as she put her phone away and walked to where Regina was standing by the door scrolling away on her phone.

"Hey" Emma said standing in front of the brunette, "Hey Im just trying to find the number to the only cab company I trust out here" she said not looking up, scrolling through her contact list. "Cab? Wheres whats his face?" Emma said trying to recall the brunettes drivers name. Regina looked up and said "David is out sick and I didn't drive so cab it is.'' "Once I find there number she said" more to herself than to Emma. "I can take you home if you want? As long as you don't mind me picking up a jet lagged, probably hungry after teen first" Emma said. "After teen?" Regina questioned. "Yea my brother. He's like 22 so he's an after teen. He doesn't deserve to be called an adult yet" Emma said laughing. The brunette shook her head "no I wouldn't want to impose" she said. "You wouldn't be really" Emma said holding open the door to outside and gesturing Regina to exit "I insist." Regina looked at Emma and smiled "well if you insist." The blonde and brunette made there way down the street in comfortable silence where Emmas jeep was parked. The sky was mostly dark as they walked. Emma opened the door for Regina "thank you" the brunette said. "No problem" Emma replied as she smiled then closed her door and made her way around to the drivers side and hopped in.

She started the car and connected her phone to the radio. "You don't mind music do you?" Regina laughed a little, shook her head and said "no not at all. You should know after Saturday." Emma laughed too and turned on her shuffle.

As Emma drove off some house song she downloaded after hearing on the radio came on she skipped it. Another unsatisfying song came on she skipped it too. She kept skipping songs until she found one she deemed acceptable.

"Hand me that" Regina said as she took Emmas phone from her hand. "Heyyy" Emma whined glancing over at the brunette. "Keep your eyes on the road Miss Swan. I would hate for us to have an accident because your having difficulties with your music selection" the brunette said scrolling through Emmas song list. "I will choose our song choices for this ride" she said. "Bossy lady tsk tsk tsk" Emma said playfully shaking her head. Regina looked at Emma with a playful shocked face "do you not trust my taste in music?" "I'm not sure yet. You havent chosen a song" Emma countered. "Hmm" the brunette said looking back down to the phone "nice collection you have here. I am impressed. Oh heres a song shhh I love this song." She pressed play on the iPhone and set it down. The sounds of Sam Smiths Stay With Me.

The song played on and Emma was 'quietly' humming and Regina was secretly listening.

* * *

"That wasn't even a Volkswagen Emma. really" Regina said rubbing her bicep where Emma just punched her and claimed 'slug bug no hit backs'. "It totally was Regina. I know a buggy when I see one and that was a buggy" the blonde said. They had been driving for about 30 minutes and were finally pulling into the airport. The traffic had been bad but the drive was pleasant, when a good song wasn't in rotation they were having good conversation about random things like they had most of the day. The blonde told Regina a little about her younger brother Henry. She was impressed to hear he was at Harvard Law and laughed when Emma claimed he was such a child. When she was asked why she was laughing Regina simply said 'like you arent a child yourself.' Regina could tell the blonde had a sincere bond with her brother just by the way she went on about him. Regina doesnt have any siblings but she wish she had. The connection most siblings share is unbreakable.

As they pulled through the pick up area of the airport Emma parked by the curb and said "there he is" pointing into the usual crowd of the airport. "Im gonna go grab him. I'll be right back" the blonde said unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out the car. "Okay" Regina said.

The blonde made her way around the car and stood on her tippy toes in search of her brother who she lost that quickly in the crowd. A minute or two a younger looking man made his way towards Emma. He was tall and had short chocolate brown hair. He had slight stubble on his chin and jaw line and hazel brown eyes. He smiled as he approached Emma and let his luggage down and open his arms up. Emma said "Henry!" and proceeded to jump and hug her brother. He was at least a foot taller than the blonde. They embraced for a while before they broke apart. Emma pointed towards the car and said something to Henry as they made there way over. Henry said something and the blonde playfully punched him in the arm,and said something Regina couldnt make out from the car. Whatever she said left Henry smiling like and idiot. It was then Regina saw the resemblance between the two. They both had smiles a mile wide.

Regina opened the car door and stepped out as the two approached. She came face to face with the two and held her hand out to Henry and said "hello you must be Henry. Im Regina, nice to meet you." Henry laughed lightly in a fashion so very similar to his sisters and pulled Regina into a hug. Regina was caught off guard at first but eventually hugged him back. "Nice to meet you as well, Im Henry" he said as he let her go. "Sorry I like hugs. Any friend of Emmas is a friend of mine" he said smiling. Regina smiled and nodded at him. "Yea yea put your stuff in the back and get in you big flirt" the blonde said as she made her way back around to the drivers side and got in.

The taller brunette rolled his eyes and got into the backseat dragging his luggage into the back with him. Regina turned and got back into the car. They pulled out of the airport and drove back into the traffic of the busy streets. "So where am I going Regina?" The blonde glanced at Regina. Regina gave told her the way to her home and the blonde nodded in confirmation.

"So how was your flight Hen?" The blonde asked her brother a couple minutes into their drive looking at him in the rear view mirror. "It was good just really long. It felt even longer than when I flew up there to begin with." Regina turned her head to look at Henry in the backseat and asked "where were you coming in from? Emma hadn't mentioned it to me." Henry said "I was coming from Cambridge England. I was at the university there for a study ABROAD program." He put emphasis on the 'abroad' part for a reason unknown to Regina but hearing Emma chuckle from the drivers seat she figured it was something inappropriate. She turned back to the front and said "oh wow that's wonderful. Cambridge is a great place of study. I also ventured there with a study abroad program in college. Food wasn't great" she laughed "but it was a great experience none the less." "Yea I wasn't to big on the food there either" Henry laughed.

They drove listening to the songs of Emmas shuffle while Emma asked Henry multiple questions about his time in England. Regina occasionally chimed in when Henry would ask her a question about herself but mostly stayed quiet.

About twenty minutes later they pulled up to Reginas gated house. "Reminds me of mom and dads" Emma said to a Henry. He didn't hear her though he had been sleep for a couple minutes now in the back seat. "Your parents must have great taste than" Regina said smiling. Emma pulled up to the security pin code pad and looked over at Regina expectantly. "The code is 78346" Regina said. The blonde punched it in and drove through the gates when they opened.

Emma pulled up behind Reginas car and stopped. "Well here we are" the blonde said. "Yup this is home" Regina said sighing. "Thankyou for the ride Emma I really appreciate it" she said opening the door and stepping out of the car. "No problem" Emma said leaning over and looking up at Regina through the open door. "Well bye now. Send Henry my regards when he wakes up from his hibernation" Regina said pointing to a heavily sleeping Henry in the back seat. The blonde laughed "I will. Bye then Regina."

Regina closed the door, turned and made her way up the short set of stairs that led to her front door. When she pulled out her keys to enter she heard a door open and close and following footsteps. When she turned Emma was coming up the few steps. "Here you left this" the blonde said handing her her cell phone. "Oh thank you. Couldn't function without this" she said as she went to take the phone. There hands brushed and Regina could of swore she felt a spark of energy. The blonde now standing in front of her tucked her hands in her back pockets and said "today was nice Regina. I really appreciate you working with me on this whole thing." Regina smiled and said "today was nice, no problem. The pleasure is entirely mine." "Well bye for real this time" the blonde said smiling. "Bye. I'll be in touch soon" Regina said.

Then she went to hug the blonde unexpectedly. She didn't mean to well she did but not now. They were friends right? They could do that. She wanted to do a lot to the blonde she had to start some where.

Emma stiffened at first but then eventually hugged Regina back fully. Having the blonde in her arms Regina realized how small the blonde actually was. The blonde had a couple inches on her, especially when they were both heeled. But the blonde was a petite woman. She had a slim waist, a flat stomach and an overall slender figure. The blonde was also pretty strong she knew that from the 'punch buggy no hit backs' she got on the drive home but also from the strength in her hug. When she hugged Regina back she had a pretty decent grip around her and had her palms flat on Reginas lower back. In a different situation, maybe a future situation Regina would wish her hands would travel lower but this moment was perfect the way it was. The perfect moment with the perfect woman.

When they parted they just smiled at each other for awhile. "Bye" Emma said walking backwards down the stairs focusing on Regina. "Bye" Regina said smiling still. The blonde made her way to her car door before Regina said "Don't forget my gates code Miss Swan. I have a feeling you'll be needing it again sooner than later" she smirked and entered her home. _So much for subtlety_ she thought. _And professionalism. _

As she made her way up her staircase she tried to get the feeling of the blonde between her arms out of her head but couldn't. "Just a hug" she said aloud to herself.

It was just a hug but that hug felt right. Like she had been hugging the blonde all of her life. Like they fit together.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the delay in the update I've been really busy. Anyways here is another chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it. Its heavier than usual. All mistakes are my own, please review and follow. The reviews let me know if its complete crap or not so yea. Thanks for the read (:**

**Trigger Warning: Rape, Depressed theme**

* * *

"Mom I did not get Henry Drunk. He is jet lagged not hung over. Calm down" Emma said in an irritated tone. She was fed up with her mom for the day. Her and Henry were 'summoned' to her parents home for a late Sunday lunch and her parents were dancing on her nerves. She wouldn't have came if it was only her. She would of made up some excuse as to why she couldn't make it and stay home for a lazy Sunday like she normally does but Henry was with her and they already had spent their Saturday doing nothing. Henry was really tired all day so Emma let him mope around all day and sleep off his jet lag or so she thought. After they were through eating their lunch and having a slightly forced conversation about 'everyone's future' he retired to his old bed room and hit the hay.

"You'd think a day of sleep would get that out of his system" Emma's mother Lorane said as she shook her head and finished drying the last dish that the duo was working on. Emma was surprised that her mother still did dishes. The house her mom and dad lived in was nothing short of a mansion, Her mother told her once that doing house chores kept her grounded and she didn't need to hire a woman to clean her home for her husband. Emma thought it was really because she didn't want a woman in a maids uniform cleaning for her husband while she wasn't home. Her mother was 'traditional' in the sense that she thought woman should cater to man even if they have their own profession. Emma always scoffed at the idea of that. Not that she was interested in men as of now but she thought all relationships should be equal. There should be no labels and roles to fill, everything should just happen naturally. But that's just another way Emma wasn't like her mother. She felt she had nothing in common with the woman who had given birth to her and most times it cut her up inside. When she was younger she never paid much attention to their lack of a connection, she thought it was because she was too young to relate to her mom in any sense and vice versa. But now that she's older she realizes their just two completely different people. They even look extremely different. Her mothers hair is long to her waist and a dark almost black brown while Emma's is a golden blonde ,and her eyes are a dark brown as well while Emma's are mostly green sometimes blue.

"Yea you would" Emma replied as she dried her hands on the dish towel on the counter and rolled the sleeves of he jean shirt down. "I think he will be fine after today. Or at least he better be. He's seeing Grace this evening their going to the movies" Emma waggled her eyebrows forgetting her mother didn't approve of such goofy gestures. "Grace is a nice girl. Her father Jefferson is a lovely designer and he told me just last week that little Grace is joining him at his office this Summer. She wants to join him in business. Isn't that great?" her mother said as they both left the kitchen and made their way down the hallway that led to the main sitting room where her father was watching television which was a rare occurrence. Usually he was cooped up in his office working. "Yea that's great for her" Emma said sighing.

She knew where this conversation was going, the same way it went when they were eating discussing 'everyone's future' when really it was only Emma's being discussed. Her mother and father went on and on about how she should join them at their firm. It was always the same routine with them. They said that owning nightclubs wasn't a promising career and that she was wasting her time. Even after she told them about the good news she had about getting investors on board with her plan they still went on about how it was irrelevant. They made her ideas for the club seem like nothing but a hobby she was currently into. They insisted that soon her interest would change. Henry tried helping by deflecting the topic of conversation but there was only so much she could do with her persistent parents.

"Emma really think about what we've told you. Were only trying to help you not waste the younger years of your life. We want you to have an early start and not be late bloomers like we were with the firm" Lorane said as she turned to Emma in the archway entrance of the living room. "Is that what you think I'm doing? Wasting my life?" Emma said angrily.

She was tired of her parents trying to keep her from perusing her dreams. Its like every time she takes a step forward they try an pull her two steps back. They have never really supported any decisions she's made in her adulthood. They want her to follow in there footsteps and that's the furthest thing Emma wants. She's tired of them acting like they know who she is. They think that they know Emma like the back of their hands but they don't and they haven't since she was a child. Even then they didn't fully understand her. They don't know anything about the woman Emma was now. Even if she blames them for some of the changes she went through. She's been through so much in the past couple of years and they have no idea about any of it yet they pass judgment on her every chance they get.

"You don't know anything about my life yet you guys tell me I'm wasting it. You know what's being wasted? Your time!" Emma said raising her voice and making her way pass the living room entrance and down the hall to the front door. "Stop wasting your time trying to control me! I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions, I am my own person!" Emma grabbed her keys from the table in the foyer and made her way through the open space and reached for the front door. She felt unwanted feelings arising in her and she wanted to leave before she said something too much.

"We only want what's best for you Emma, were just looking out for you! You should be grateful you have parents who care about you!" Lorane shouted as she trailed behind Emma. Emma's father Edward was trailing not to far behind Emma's mother, coming to her aid Emma guessed.

Emma turned around to face her mother "How could you know what's best for me if you don't even know me?!" She shook her head and frantically moved her hands motioning towards herself "You don't know anything about me! Stop trying to tell me what you-" "Emma Marie Swan you will not talk to your mother in that tone of voice." Edward cut Emma off "She is right we only want to protect you fr-"

"No! Stop! Stop that we only want to protect you crap!" Emma cut him off angrily. She never usually interrupted her father out of respect but she had to get this out. "You guys cant protect me from shit! If you guys want to protect me so much why are you just now starting? Where was your protection when I needed protection from Neal?"

"You guys were at work 'building you fucking careers' while he was hurting me! You guys put me in his care and never even checked on what he was doing you fucking hypocrites!" Lorane stepped closer to Emma and reached for Emma's arm in a soothing way "what do you mean he was hurting you?" She said sounding concerned. Typical Emma thought be concerned after the fact.

Emma yanked her arm away and yelled "He raped me! And you guys did nothing! Nothing at all to protect me! No one did! No one came to help me then! I needed your help then! You cant protect me from anything!" Emma was now fully crying. "You brought him into our home" she said pointing at her father. "You let him in without any thought about what he was capable of! He was a fucking thug dad! And you let him get too comfortable! You were supposed to protect from him and instead you let him hurt me!"

"Emma I'm so, I just, we thought he changed. We didn't know he wa-" Edward said walking towards Emma slowly. "NO!" Emma yelled backing up and raising her hands in a silencing manner. "Stop okay! You didn't know because you didn't want to know. He broke me. I was completely fucking broken. I needed you and you weren't there so just stop." Emma turned and ran out the front, got in her car and drove off.

Emma sat parked in front of her brownstone staring straight ahead at the yellow bug parked in front of her. She wasn't supposed to blow up on her parents like that. They weren't supposed to know anything. It was both a relief and a burden now that they knew. She had opened a can of worms and she knew she would have to discuss it further with them eventually and she wasn't looking forward to their too late apologies for something they can no longer fix.

She never talked about Neal and what he did to her. Neal was the "mentee" of Emma's father Edward. He was a felon who her dad had taken underneath his wing in order to "help him turn his life around" is what her father said but Emma knew better. It was a publicity stunt only done to make him look good. It wasn't the first one her parents had pulled in the building of there business but definitely the worst one in Emma's opinion.

_Emma and Henry never really talked much to Neal only when they had to. They knew of his history with crime and would never admit that they feared him but they did so they kept there distance from him._

_Emma was home for winter break her sophomore year of NYU. She had just got her license finally. After teasing from her friends about how she still didn't have it she stopped procrastinating and went out and got it. She had failed the test twice before and barely got it this third time. No matter how close she was cutting it she was happy she finally had it._

_Her father insisted that she still sharpen up on her turning skills because she was a wide turner. She was reluctant at first but eventually agreed to let her father help her. They had scheduled the session for the day after Christmas and she wouldn't admit it but Emma was excited to get to spend some quality time with her father after not being around so often because of school. She was also excited to give her Bug a spin. She had bought some yellow beat up Volkswagen she had fell in love with in a used car parking lot near campus. It cost next to nothing and Emma had just enough saved to get it so she did. Her parents scolded her for not buying a more safety ensured car but she didn't care._

_It was a little after six on December 26th when Emma made her way to her fathers office and saw he wasn't there. She went in and sat in the chair behind his desk as she did most times when he wasn't present. She pulled her cellphone out and dialed her dads number. "Hello" he said. "Where are you dad?" She rocked back and forth in the wheeled chair something she know she would of been scolded for if her father was there to witness. "I'm at the office. Your mother and I both are here attending to an urgent matter. We Left a note on the refrigerator for you" he said. "Oh I thought that we were supposed to go driving tonight" Emma said disappointed It wasn't the first time one of her parents went back on their word because of work. "I know sweetie but I wouldn't' have come to the office if I didn't have to. I'm sorry." "Its alright, I'll just go practice by myself for a while in the lot up the street" Emma said standing from the chair and making her way out of the home office. "No take Neal he's there. He can help you, he is a great driver" her father said. "No its fine I can do it myself" Emma said, her voice slightly wavering._

_She didn't have anything against Neal but she didn't trust him. Something about him didn't sit well with her. It wasn't solely based on his previous life of crime but the way he acted around her. He flirted with her on multiple occasions even after she made it clear that she wasn't interested in him. He was a little too aggressive for her liking._

_"It'll be fine he wont bite you I promise" Edward said jokingly. "Plus I'd feel better if he was there with you in the lot because it's getting dark. "I'll call him over from the guest house and have him right over. Bye sweetie have fun." He hung up the phone. Emma did not want to be in the same car with Neal at all. It was awkward enough he was staying in her parents guest house. Emma decided she would get in her car and leave before Neal could make it over._

_She exited the front door and quickly walked, almost ran to her car until she saw a dark figure leaning against it. She slowed down then stopped. "Hey princess" Neal said from where he was leaning with his arms crossed. "Your daddy told me you needed some help with your driving." Emma walked over to the drivers door and said "no I think I'm just gonna go by myself. Thanks anyways." She quickly slipped into the drivers seat and put her key in the ignition. Just as quickly, Neal slipped in the passengers side and closed the door behind him._

_"I'm just following daddy's orders princess" Neal said staring at Emma lustfully. "No really I can call him now and clarify that I can definitely ride by myself" Emma said pulling out her cellphone. Neal reached over and hit the phone to the ground with his open palm. "What the hell-" Emma started before Neal slapped her across her face with the same open palm he used to hit her phone. "I'm sure you can ride" he suggestively said and chuckled low. "Start the fucking car and drive to the fucking lot." When Emma didn't move he pulled out a 5 inch pocket blade from his back pocket and yelled "NOW!"_

_Emma started to cry as she started her car and drove off. She though about driving somewhere for help but Neal had the blade held to her neck the entire time. When they reached the lot Emma almost passed it up until Neal said "now turn into the lot and park by the far wall." With the choice to either obey or get her throat slit Emma did as she was told._

_When she parked in the area Neal directed she put the car in park and waited for Neal to slice her up. She thought she knew how this was going to end. Neal would beat her up and slice her a couple times then demand some sort of monetary payment. But her prediction was terribly wrong._

_"What do you want?" Emma choked out in a hoarse voice trying her best to hide the fact that she had been crying. Neal laughed as he slid his blade down Emma's neck to the V in her sweater and halted the blade. "You" he said as he yanked the blade downward and cut Emma's sweater and undershirt in half exposing her bra. Emma's chest started moving rapidly up and down. She was terrified of what Neal was going to do to her. She reached her hand for the handle of the door to escape but she wasn't fast enough. Before she knew it Neal had jumped over the console in the middle of the front seats and straddled her. "Where you going princess? You never been with a bad boy like me have you? Daddy wouldn't allow his precious daughter to get fucked by a thug like me would he?" He started grinding against Emma pulling her shredded top off and throwing it to the back seat. "Please stop" Emma said crying "I'll give you whatever you want just please don't do this." In a swift movement Neal was off of her and back in the passengers seat. Emma thought he was listening to her plea until his hand came across her face as he slapped her harshly and said "get in the backseat now and stop begging princess its not a good look for someone of your stature."_

_"How am I supposed to-" Emma started until Neal cut her off. "Get in the fucking backseat or I swear to God I will have my boys over here in 5 minutes and we will all fuck you until you cant walk!" Emma tried gulping down the lump in her throat but failed as she rose from her seat and maneuvered her way to the back. It was a tight space but she managed it. She sat in the seat farthest to the left behind the drivers seat. Farthest away from Neal._

_"On your back princess" he ordered as he also made his way back into the small space holding his blade out. Emma slowly obeyed. Before she knew it Neal was over her. She had her arms folded covering her chest. She felt bare. All she had on was a bra, leggings, and boots now. She felt like throwing up with the scene playing out before her. She had to do something she thought. She kneed Neal in the stomach from where he was over her and tried to lift herself from the seat. "Shit" Neal yelled as he grabbed his stomach. She punched and kicked and bit and screamed until she made her way to the middle console trying to crawl over it. Her upper body was through the front seat when Neal gripped her hips from behind and pressed his groin and upper body against her. He held his blade out to her throat and said "move again and I'll cut your fucking throat you spoiled little bitch." Emma started crying harder then she was before. She was in such a compromising position. Her knees were spread on the floor of the backseat while her upper body was in the front seats. Her hands holding her up on either side of the middle console._

_She felt the blade move from her around her neck down her spine and onto her backside. She felt the blade cut through her leggings and cut her thighs in the process. She screamed in pain as Neal took his time cutting into her. "Help! Help me! Somebody please!" Emma screamed through her tears as loud as she could._

_Yelling was her last resort. If she tried fighting again he'd kill her. Emma considered letting him kill her. It would be better than dealing with what she knew was coming. She felt so helpless in that moment. Like she couldn't help herself even if she wanted to. She wish she would've never came home for break. She wish her father never took this crazed thug under his wing. She wish her father was there to protect her but he wasn't. No one was there. She thought it was ironic how her father sent Neal to protect her from harm in the empty lot but he ended up hurting her in a way she would never forget. Scarring her for the rest of her life. Changing her forever._

_"No one can hear you from here princess. Not even your rich prick ass daddy" Neal said as he yanked Emma's panties down and slapped her ass. Neal pulled his pants down revealing himself and then forced himself inside Emma. Getting blood on his groin from where he cut her on her thighs as he thrust into her repeatedly. Emma cried because at that moment it was all she could do. She wasn't a virgin but she felt at that moment something way more important than her innocence was being taken from her. Her dignity. She had never felt lower than she had when Neal was forcing himself into her over and over again. She could hear him saying something like "You little rich piece of shit. I'll show you" but she couldn't hear it. The only thing she could hear was her tears falling on the console between her weakened arms._

_After Neal 'finished' he pulled Emma fully into the backseat and left her there while he went to drivers seat and drove them back to the house. Emma was limp in the backseat when they arrived. She was still naked and crying replaying what had just happened to her over and over in her head. Neal carried her from the back seat into the house and she let him. She didn't know what else to do, she knew her legs wouldn't carry her. He took her to the bathroom and condescendingly kissed her atop her head and then threw her into the shower and said "Clean up slut. Wouldn't want daddy to know what we were up to. If he finds out I'll have my gang around here in a days time to off your whole fucking family understand?" When Emma didn't respond he yanked her up halfway by her hair and said "Understand?" "Yes" Emma cried "yes." He dropped her back down and walked out the bathroom "good" he said before he exited._

_Emma just laid there on the floor of the shower and cried. She felt so powerless. She felt like her parents left her to fend for herself against a monster they harbored. She cried for about an hour until she finally got up and went to close and lock the bathroom door and then showered for another hour. She cried herself to sleep that night and many more to come._

_She didn't tell her parents then. And after that night she never saw Neal again. He never came back around._

After her attack she fell into a depression so deep it made her question if she was ever even happy and whole before. Emma felt alone. She felt like she was surrounded by people who didn't even notice her, at least not the real her. They bought so easily into her array of fake smiles and forced laughs that she wondered if the people she'd know to be closest to her even knew her at all. She never had a blooming relationship with her parents but she expected them to recognize the change in her ways at the very least. They didn't. Ruby and Belle didn't even notice. Emma had everyone fooled into thinking that she was alright. That she was regular and put together. She had everyone believing that she was the same ole bubbly rebellious Emma that they had grown to love. After pretending to be happy for so long Emma started to believe she was. She told herself everyday that she was strong and not as powerless as she felt on that night five years ago. She put herself in a shell of denial and rejection of the pain that constantly threatened to spill out of her.

Every now and again her shell would gain a crack in it like it did when her and Ashley broke up. She would quickly fill in the cracks each time one arose. She would fill it with all of the crippled reasons of why she ultimately wasn't ready to be with anyone. She reasoned that she could never show her self to anyone truly. They would question if it was really her because her mask had been in place so long that when she removed it she would be unrecognizable.

The chiming of her cell phone pulled her out of her thoughts she sniffled for the last time and thanked God for the distraction as she got out of her car and looked at her phone. It was a notification. As she walked into her home and unlocked her phone she saw that she had a new text from PRESIDENT. Despite her mood she flashed a small smile.

She went to her bedroom and hastily changed her clothes and washed her tear stained face before she plopped down onto her bed and picked her phone up from where she had set it on her nightstand. She unlocked it and opened up the message.

**PRESIDENT: Emma?**

**Emma: Hey whats up?**

**PRESIDENT: Oh wow this** **really is your number with the heart emoji next to it on Ginas phone. Well** **this is Kathkdnkdnfj ndfhjd**

**Emma: What?**

Emma stared down at her phone confused. She didn't understand the message she last received as soon as she started typing another text her phone ringer went off. It was Regina. She didn't want to answer it in the state of mind she was in but she couldn't bear to ignore Regina.

"Hello?" Emma said. "Hello Emma this is Regina" the brunette said through the phone. "Yea um I kind of figured that haha. Caller ID is a thing" Emma said as playful as she could in her current mood.

* * *

"Kathryn what are you doing?!" Regina yelled chasing after her friend who was running down her staircase with her iPhone tapping away a message to someone she hoped wasn't Emma.

Kathryn and Regina had a movie Sunday together so Kathryn had been over her house from about 11 o clock. They were supposed to have it yesterday but Regina got caught up at work so she promised they'd do it today. After the first two movies they got bored and started talking. Since they were talking Kathryn insisted they have some wine as well. After Kathryn's third glass she started going on about how Regina was so in love with Emma, making Regina regret even telling her in the first place. Regina told her friend how wonderful her day was with Emma on Friday. She went on about how she enjoyed everything from the meal to the drive home. She went on about how intelligent she thought Henry was and how him and his sister looked so different but were so similar in their ways. The way Regina went on about the two you would think she had known them both her entire life. After the blonde taunted her she snatched her phone from her and took off with it.

"Wait give me one more second I'm just adding more heart Emojis next to the millions you already have next to Emma's name" the blonde said as she hit the bottom of the stairs and took off towards Reginas Bedroom. "I swear to God Kat if you send her anything I'm going to kill you!" Regina hit the bottom of the stairs and took off towards her room where her friend had just entered. She now ran barefooted leaving her fuzzy house slippers at the base of the stairs in order to gain speed.

Once she caught up to her friend she tackled her to the bed and wrestled her phone out of her hands. "I'll take that" she said as she snatched the phone from the blondes hands. "You are so childish Kat I swear" she huffed as she scrolled through her messages trying to access the damage her friend might of done. "Oh shut up I didn't even get my conversation flowing. You ruined it Gina you ruined it" the blonde said getting off of the bed and straightening her now wrinkled shirt. "I ruined what? You trying to booty call Emma over here" Regina said in an irritated tone. "Oh no you did that yourself when you told her to remember your gate code. She's got the keys to the castle now. Any time she likes she can come and fu-" the blonde started. "Kat stop. Just stop I think you've had a bit too much to drink my dear" Regina said getting off of the bed and grabbing her friend by her shoulders. "Well maybe" Kathryn said yawning.

Regina led the woman back up the stairs to one of her guest rooms and laid her down on the bed. "You cant drive home like this so I guess your sleeping up here" she said spreading a blanket across her friends body. "I would let you sleep with me but you have a light stomach when your drunk and we don't want a repeat of what happened last time." Kathryn sleepily giggled and said "yea I know. I'm still sorry about that it was gross." The last time Regina and Kathryn slept in the same bed after a drunken night the blonde emptied all the contents of her stomach onto Reginas bed and her. It was an horrific experience for them both. "Good night Kat you child" Regina said as she made her way out of the room. "Good night Mrs. Swan!" She heard her friend shout as she walked down the stairs and back into her room.

She changed into her pajamas which was silk shorts and silk spaghetti strapped shirt that only dropped to her belly button. It kept her cool while she was sleeping. She could never wear full pants set pajamas while she slept because shed get too hot through the night and end up snatching them off. After changing she grabbed her phone off of the vanity where she left it and decided to call Emma to clarify that it wasn't her who was messaging her.

"Hello?" The blonde woman said through the phone. Her voice was raspier then usual. Like maybe she had been crying Regina thought. She hoped the blonde hadn't been crying. "Hello Emma this is Regina" the brunette said slapping her self on the forehead for being captain obvious. "Yea um I kind of figured that haha. Caller ID is a thing" Emma said with only a hint of playfulness. "What was up with those messages they didn't make any sense?" Regina sat on her bed legs folded with her back against the headboard hugging a pillow. "Yea that's why I called you that um wasn't me. It was my friend Kat being childish. I'm sorry to disturb your Sunday" Regina said hoping she hadn't disturbed the blonde and that the blonde maybe wanted to talk to her. Shed been dying to talk to the blonde but didn't want to come on too strong. She had such a great day with the blonde it had her wondering if Emma did too.

"Its alright your not disturbing much of a great day anyways" the blonde said. Reginas heart clenched in her chest hearing the blondes saddened tone of voice. The blonde cleared her throat "sorry you can get back to you phone stealing friend haha" she laughed dully. Regina doesn't know how but she knew that something was up with the blonde. She hadn't known the blonde long enough to pick up on her emotions she thought to herself. "My phone stealing friend is sound asleep in my guest room thankfully" Regina said laughing just as dully as the blonde had.

"Oh okay well you-" "Is there something bothering you Emma?" Regina interrupted the blonde. "Something you would like to discuss?" "No I'm fine" the blonde responded too quickly. "I'm just tired."

She's lying the brunette thought to herself. She knew the 'just tired' feeling all to well and it upset her that the blonde was feeling down. She knew that she couldn't force Emma to talk to her because whatever they had going on friendship or whatever it might be was just beginning and trust had to be gained with both parties. She also knew that feeling like you have no one to turn to is a horrid feeling so she decided to let the blonde know she was there even if she didn't want to talk.

Breaking the silence that stretched out Regina spoke up and said "If you ever want to talk about anything know I'm here. I'd like to be more than just a corporate face to you Emma" I want to be way more than that she thought to herself. "Thank you" the blonde said clearing her throat for a second time. Regina knew she was coughing back tears and her heart broke at the cover up.

* * *

"Thank you" Emma cleared her throat trying to keep the tears that were rimming her eyes at bay. She was falling apart. She knew her breakdown was coming after she had her session of reminiscing in front of her home. She thought if she washed the tears away and went straight to bed that she would sleep it off but then Regina called and she couldn't resist her urge to answer instead of letting it go to voicemail like she should of in the state she was in.

The brunette seemed so genuine in her offer to listen to Emma if she wanted to listen. She didn't even pry but she just let it be known if Emma wanted to talk she'd be there to listen and Emma appreciated the gesture so much. She wanted to talk to Regina so bad but she knew she couldn't tell her why she was really upset. It would make the brunette look at her differently. Maybe not professionally but Emma was sure whatever flirtation-ship that was going on between them would surely stop if she told Regina the roots of the blow up she had with her parents and she couldn't risk it. She wasn't too sure on where her and the brunettes stood socially but she decided after Friday that she definitely had some feelings there. She caught up on the hints the woman left and she knew for sure that Regina was feeling her too.

Emma knew she wouldn't be able to open up to Regina fully but maybe she could just talk to her. Talking with the brunette always made her feel a way. A good way. The darkness she was certain would engulf her tonight dissipated as soon as Regina said the words 'know I'm here'. She would talk to Regina. Not reveal but talk.

"How was your weekend" she said escaping her thoughts. It took Regina a while to respond as she was probably thrown off guard by the change of subject. "It was productive. I got a lot done yesterday. Enough to make up for my lack of tasks today" the brunette on the other line said. Emma knew she noticed the shift and she was thankful Regina hadn't pried on. "How was yours? You and Henry do anything special?"

"It hasn't been too eventful" Emma said for lack of a better description. "Henry has been sleep since Friday night he is majorly jet lagged" she chuckled. Their the brunette went changing her mood effortlessly. "That's not surprising" the brunette laughed lightly "his flight was a long one."

The woman fell into hours of conversation. They talked about a random assortment of things as they usually did. Of course Emma left out the fight with her parents but Regina seemed intrigued with the flow of topics. They talked for hours and hours. They talked about anything and everything. They talked about business, friends, family, past relationships, food preferences. Really anything you could think of. They talked all night and early morning. There was more than a bit of flirting throughout the conversation but it was all in good nature. Nothing too naughty yet. They eventually fell asleep on the phone Regina being the first one out at about 3 am and Emma following shortly.

"Good night beautiful" she whispered into the phone to the woman she assumed was sleeping. The woman who had turned her night around. The woman who she had spent hours talking to about the most random things but most meaningful things al at once. The woman who she hoped would always be there to pick her up when she was down without even noticing like she did tonight. The woman who she actually wanted to open up to. Before talking to Regina on the phone she was certain she couldn't out of fear she would run but after hours of talking she thought maybe she could. Maybe just maybe Regina would be the one to help her remove her mask and break through her shell.

"Good night Emma" the woman on the other line said in a raspy voice breaking her line of thought. She thought that she was already sleep but Emma was glad she had heard her call her beautiful because she was.

Emma drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face rather than the tears she thought shed be facing tonight just hours ago. Regina made her night what it was. She was thankful.


End file.
